


You're Here, Aren't You?

by jjinxx



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Battle of New York (Marvel), Dubious Consent, F/M, Kidnapping, Obsessive Behavior, PWP, Rape/Non-con Elements, Smut, Stalking, Wikipedia research, questionable marvel concepts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:29:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28496850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjinxx/pseuds/jjinxx
Summary: Very briefly in the middle of the Battle of New York, Steve encounters the mind stone. It leads him to her.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Reader
Comments: 48
Kudos: 130





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Lmao I went to post this and realized hadn't even come up with a title and I have no idea where this story is going so.

_Steve braced his body behind his shield. One beat of chaotic thunder later, Natasha’s feet made impact. He sprung upward to boost her. His eyes flew up to follow her trajectory into the oncoming team of alien hover racers._

_That’s when it happened._

_He caught a flicker, a half-second of something not friendly, but nearly gentle enough that his racing mind, still on Natasha’s successful landing, did not process as an outright attack._

_It was much more._

_From the air, Loki had flown at him. Had aimed at him. Had the scepter pressed to Steve’s chest._

Dr. Erskine’s words echoed between shelves of Steve Memories. Don’t forget who you are. A good man. Steve understood the doctor’s warning. Resist the violent thrill that comes with strength, power, fame. And the Steve that tread above the surface of the Memories knew he would never abuse the serum’s gifts in order to subjugate entire cities.

There would be no need to see an audience of bowed heads. There would be no invasion of foreign countries, no quelling of freedom among the humble. No. All he needed was one. A someone to satisfy a dark hunger that he had hidden in the depths of the ocean of his mind. Just the one.

Steve found her in the aftermath of the Battle of New York.

Her parents had been visiting her sister in New York City. All three were casualties of the alien invasion. She had volunteered with the city’s relief project, he supposed to aid in her grieving. Then, she had applied for and been hired to continue one of the non-profit’s community support projects. One year with the project, she had finally decided to return to lab work, had started applying to job postings. That was Steve’s sign.

***

She stretched, rolling over and pushing away the bed covers. Her eyes blinked open to an unfamiliar room. Immediately, she sat up, forcing down the wave of dizziness thrumming in her mind.

“Where the fuck…”

This wasn’t Cat’s apartment. She was at Cat’s apartment last night, bingeing Schitt’s Creek and sharing special brownies that Cat declared were a much deserved treat after graduating her final training camp.

And now, it was…nine in the morning according to a little alarm clock next to the bed. Her cell phone was nowhere to be found. Where the fuck was her cell phone and where the fuck was she?

She crawled off the bed and peeked through one doorway. Closet, a big one. She tiptoed to the other set of oddly adorable white French doors with dark blue curtains.

After making sure no one was present beyond, she pushed the doors open. They led to a modest living room and kitchenette combo. She headed straight for what she prayed was the exit door. When tugging and twisting at the door handle didn’t work, anxiety rose up her throat. Somewhere in her psyche, there had held a subconscious knowledge that the door might not open.

Before allowing herself to confront that knowledge head on, she spun around.

A couch was pressed against the wall, in front of a tall, narrow window. Sweeping her eyes around the room and finding no evidence to whom the space might belong to, she quickly approached the couch. She grimaced at the view outside the window. All she could see was a brick wall, as if this building and the next sat within a foot of each other. In fact, she couldn’t see a street below or an end to the brick wall above. There was just enough space that sunlight angled into the room, but she couldn’t tell if that meant it was morning or afternoon, if the room she stood in was mid-level, or perched higher in an apartment complex. Prying at the window frame resulted in cramping up her fingers. So that option was out. She could barely hear the sound of traffic from beyond the thick glass.

Marching back into the bedroom, she went for the walk-in closet, and then beyond, a small bathroom with a soaker tub.

Breathe. The command broke through her whirling mind, and she unclenched her fists, feeling her pulse pound. _Don’t let yourself go there,_ she thought, as worst case scenarios flashed unbidden before her. Suddenly she heard a click from the other room. Quickly, she again entered the living room. And paused.

_Captain America?_

Steve could read the confusion in her face, the questions and doubts that drew her eyebrows together. Then her eyes flickered to the open door, and she took a step forward. He closed the door, and she halted.

The second click mocked her, like the echo of a bullet just fired.

“Who’re you?” she asked.

“Steve Rogers.”

She had never met the Avengers in person, and his response got one uncertainty out of the way. “Where am I?”

“My apartment.”

“Why?”

She wasn’t normally this rude. And she wasn’t normally waking up in the homes of people she didn’t know, and seeing with her own eyes as they _very intentionally_ closed their doors when she _very obviously_ planned to leave.

“I brought you here.”

“How?”

“Sleep aides.”

You glared at him. “How?” She repeated.

“Do you really want to listen to how easy it was to tamper with your friend’s edibles?”

“Catra.” Her ire flipped back to anxiety.

“She’s okay. No one got hurt.”

She took a deep breath. His gazed trailed up and down her body. He moved forward and crouched to open a mini fridge. Grabbed a bottle of water.

He maintained a respectable distance. “Here. You need water.”

Steeling herself, she grabbed the bottle from him while stalking right past, going for the door. Her hand grasped that damn door handle and yanked again.

Nothing happened, again.

“You won’t be able to open the door.”

“Then open it for me,” she demanded.

“Not going to happen.”

She found herself whirled around and before she knew it, he’d slung her over a shoulder and just as quickly deposited her onto the couch. She hadn’t even had time to wack him with the water bottle still in her hand.

“Drink it,” he ordered, going over the cupboard.

She saw but didn’t entirely process what he was doing until he set a plate of crackers and fruit on the coffee table in front of her. He pulled a chair over to sit across from her.

“You need to drink some water.”

“You need to explain what is going on.”

“You can drink while I explain.”

That was the most logical sentence she’d heard since she’d woken up.

She cracked the bottle cap and sipped. Then she quirked a brow at his silence. There was just a hint of a smirk in one corner of his lips, an indication that he was purposely testing her patience. She did not appreciate that.

“You’ll be staying here with me.”

“That doesn’t sound right. I don’t know you.”

“You will.”

“That doesn’t sound right either.”

There was no question about the smirk now. He was nearly exasperated. Even worse, he started his next sentence off with her name.

“Why do you know my name?”

“You worked with the New York relief project.”

 _Which was headed by the Avengers._ She needed to re-focus her questions. “You brought me here?” He nodded. “Why?”

“I need you.”

His response was incongruous with all the logical possibilities she ran through her head. Which meant his bringing her here was not for any logical reason.

“What do you need from me?”

“Everything.”

“I don’t…” It was like he was speaking in a foreign language. “That doesn’t make sense. Please.” She couldn’t help it, the note of pleading in her voice. She was reaching the end of her rope trying to gain insight into her current circumstances. “Explain.”

Steve’s gaze softened. There she was. Triumph warmed his chest hearing her plead. He liked all of the natural steel of her demeanor, the iron that had greeted him when he came to check on her. And he looked forward to peeling back that iron to reveal all her softness. He’d do it over and over.

He grabbed a few strawberries from the plate between them before beginning. “We worked at the same site a couple of times. Please.”

He gestured at the plate, and stretched forward to drop a berry in her small open hand. She accepted it easily, focused completely on his words. Steve leisurely bit into a strawberry so as to hide a satisfied grin. He wanted all of her attention on him all the time. Those big eyes concentrated on his as if waiting for him to make sense of her world. He would be her world, as she was his.

“You were always zooming around like a little worker bee. Delegating to the volunteers, directing pedestrians away from the hazardous site. You’d even help carry wooden planks longer than you are tall.” At this, he shook his head.

She was also shaking her head, not seeing where this was going. Although she did now recall once or twice hearing the excited twitters of her colleagues whenever they were alerted that an actual real life Avenger was at the site of a reconstruction project.

“You remember Loki?”

Her frown deepened. “Norse harbinger of the alien invasion?”

A wry smile. “Well, part of his plan was to go around mind controlling people as a means to an end. Our end, specifically. I was one of those people whose mind was taken over. He used something called the mind stone. Apparently, it houses an ancient and cosmic power. Loki got close enough and for a short while, I wasn’t in control of myself.”

He watched her gaze drop, something near sympathy etched on her features. Perhaps she felt for him. More likely, she was simply mulling over the credibility of this information. She bit into the strawberry in her hand, and he couldn’t help admiring those plush red lips, glistening with juice.

She met his gaze one more. “And then?”

“And then my pal the Hulk accidentally knocked me through the side of a building. Broke me through the stone’s hold on me. The thing is…” He paused, allowing her to focus on his next words. “Once the battle was over, and the days went by, I realized something. I’m not sure even Loki really understood what he was doing with that alien stone. Because I realized the stone hadn’t been controlling me. It woke me.”

The stone had reached deep down, tapping at a shadow of Steven Grant Rogers that had been biding its time through adolescence and army rejections and a war, and through an age of ice, waiting to resurface.

The stone woke him, and he’d been so hungry.

“And then, well, I found you.” And that gaping hole inside him had ached so hard when he found her. He just knew he had to have her. The more he’d watched her, the deeper that hunger grew into an absolute, consuming need. “You. You’re perfect. At first, I simply admired your resilience in the face of your grief and tragedy. And then you started proving yourself a compassionate leader in the relief efforts.”

She shook her head. She had never intended to be a leader. She had just wanted to do a good job, to help her fellow citizens pick up their lives and thrive again.

“So many others worked hard. Why? Why would you…”

He knew she would feel confused, feel singled out. But it couldn’t be helped. “Call it the universe aligning. Perhaps, it was a coincidence, my encounter with the stone, and you being in the right place at the wrong time.” He offered a wistful, sad smile. He didn’t relish her loss, but he was grateful that the tragic battle had landed her in his hands. “I can’t account for the timing. But the fact is that I chose you.”

“You realize how insane that sounds?” She peered at him desperately. “How-how insane and. And terrifying you sound?”

“You don’t have to be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you.” He was okay with the skepticism trembling on her full lips.

She would believe him the more time they spent together.

Steve did not feel the need to justify his actions to her or to anyone else. He simply expected for her to accept her new reality with a bit of time. Time that he was going to enjoy taking to get to know her more.

“When I heard you were planning on moving…” He gave a lax shrug, as if to say, it had been time.

She didn’t remember dropping the half-bit strawberry.

“I know this is a lot right now. And that’s okay. I made sure that eventually you would be here with me.”

Please, no. This couldn’t be happening.

“You’re not serious.” She hoped, a foolish part of her hoped.

“Oh, darling,” he murmured, eyes soft, adoring. “You’re here, aren’t you?”

Oh god. “No.” She barely managed a verbal denial before he swept her up in his arms again.

“Stop! Let go!”

She squirmed trying to flip off his shoulder. Smacked her fists against his expansive back, all in vain.

He shushed her with her name. “It’s okay.”

“No!”

Steve had no trouble holding her steady. He didn’t want to scare her, but now she was finally here, under his roof, in his hands. There was no point in waiting, he had decided. He wanted to taste and touch every bit of her. He wanted his scent on her, sweat blending with hers. He wanted to map her under his touch and for her to learn to please him. They would both enjoy learning. Starting right here. He laid her out on the bed. She squeaked when his nose burrowed into her neck. His heat was all over her, his weight pressing on her. His hot breath on her skin made her dizzy.

“Steve,” she managed to firmly admonish him, shoving unsuccessfully at his chest.

The way she gasped his name – Steve bit back a groan.

God, the man was immoveable, muscles hard and his limbs and torso trapping her– she was still trying to process what he had shared, still trying to find some logical way to maybe talk herself out of this crazy dream, this steadily growing nightmare. And his hands were all over, greedy and squeezing, his touch foreign and determined.

“Please, stop.”

“Want you,” he breathed, kissing the flesh revealed as he unbuttoned her tunic. “I’ve waited so long for you.” He’d been so patient, making sure the timing was right.

“Stop, don’t!” She swung her feet in an attempt to throw him off.

Steve relented only so that he could roughly pull her leggings and underwear off her. She yelped at his unrestrained touch. Tried to curl up to hide her nakedness. He pushed himself in between her thighs and yanked her shirt roughly off of her.

Hopelessness fueled her fury and she slapped and tried to scratch him.

“Don’t touch me! Just because you’re Captain Ameri—“

He easily captured her wrists, pressing them to the bed so that all she could do was writhe pitifully.

“I’m not doing this because I’m Captain America,” he assured her. He took in her soft plump body. “I love that you don’t wear bras,” he confessed, adoring the sight of her tits and then diving down to mouth at them.

“No, stop!” She beat one free fist against him. Groaned as he sucked her breast hard as a starved man would his final gulp of water. “Oh! Stop!”

Steve registered the contradicting way her body moved against him. Could hear her breath choking in her throat and knew he had happened very quickly upon a weakness of hers simply by chance. He pinched her wet nipple and switched his mouth to the other, closing his teeth lightly around the areola while sucking.

She whimpered. Heat rushed through her body that tried to both cling to and resist his eager touch.

She had only ever had one sexual partner. And it’d been years ago, when she was in college before life got so busy. Steve’s hungry desire dazed her. And there was no way she could fight him. But she couldn’t just give up and lay there. And curse him, his hot mouth around the aching tips of her breasts was the most sinful pleasure she had felt in a long time. Why was this happening?

Her thoughts fled when his lips descended on hers, kissing hard. It took a second before she was able to tear away.

“Don’t!”

“I’ll make you feel so good,” he promised, cupping her face to bring her eyes back to his. “Let me.”

She snarled with bared teeth at him. “It’s called consent, asshole.”

“Oh, I know what consent looks like.” His crooked smirk darkened. “I’ll seduce it out of you.”

“That’s not-“

His lips captured hers, tongue sneaking into her mouth, groaning in satisfaction. She twisted and managed to catch her teeth on his bottom lip. It was a short lived victory.

He chuckled against the sharp throb left by her teeth. “If you wanted a bite out of me, all you had to do was say so.”

Mortified, she shoved at him while he rid himself of his shirt. He retreated to take off his pants as well, quick enough to catch her ankles as she tried to flee.

She yelped, getting dragged to the foot of the bed. Her voice died in her throat when she felt his tongue there, her most intimate, vulnerable place. One large hand on her kept her hips from twisting away. As she curled forward, she met his eyes filled with lust and triumph.

Steve swore she was the sweetest honey he’d tasted. Her increasing arousal had him hard and throbbing.

She couldn’t bear to watch, dropping her head back. On its own, her hand found its way into his dark blond locks and she tugged in vain. His tongue swept between her swollen folds. Attacked her clitoris. He sucked and licked in an overwhelming pattern that overrode all thoughts in her mind. His breath pelting against her pussy drove her senses away. She gasped and bit her lip against noises trying to claw out of her chest.

He had no intention of making her wait. He ate her out fully, sucking and lapping to his heart’s content.

He pushed a finger into her, then squeezed a second finger in. He was rewarded with a mewl. As he gently fucked her with his fingers, he sucked hard on her clit.

She didn’t stand a chance. Her back arched, struck by her climax, feeling like she was falling or floating or simply consumed by the heat that licked up from her groin. His fingers pumped steadily, drawing gasps out of her until her body laid back limp.

Except for her tight channel squeezing the life out of his fingers. Steve needed to feel her squeezing his cock now. He rose and caged his body over hers.

“S-stop.” She forced her addled brain into gear. “Wait…”

“I got you, honey,” he whispered, hand squeezing the base of his cock.

“I…” Her mind spun. “I have a STD!”

He paused.

She swallowed, blinking hard. Her declaration helped bring her back to the present.

“Y-yeah. I have…a-a couple STD’s, actually. They’re…” She could see his eyes sweep over her chest. “They’re all very contagious. You don’t want to expose yourself. Not more than you already have.” Another second of pause had her anticipating she may have succeeded in fending him off.

Then his mouth was on hers again, muffling her squeal from the pressure of his cock head breaching her entrance.

Steve huffed a breathless laugh, nibbling at her chin. “Oh baby, you’re so…” His compliment drifted as he reveled in her tight heat squeezing each inch that he pushed into her. He forced himself to slow down, not wanting to hurt her.

She gasped, overwhelmed by the size of him, and he wasn’t even in all the way yet.

“I know you don’t have any STD’s,” he murmured against her ear. “You’re a good girl. So good.” He wasn’t even sure if he was talking about her being clean or about how fucking good she felt wrapped around him right now. All he knew was that he had to move. So he rocked a little into her.

She tried to even out her breathing, huffing short breaths with little success. “You…you’re t-too…”

“So good…” he repeated. He kept thrusting shallowly to seat more and more of his cock in her, letting himself savor this first time with her. He had allowed himself many nights with visions of her in his arms just like this. “Your tight little pussy is perfect. Better than I - could imagine.”

He gave her a wet kiss on the corner of her mouth as his cock sank deeper into her, slow and unhurried. His eye lids fluttered open, taking in the beautiful sight of her, lips slack with a silent moan as she struggled to accept his entire length. He wanted the image branded in his mind forever. She was a dream come true just for him.

She ached with the pressure and fullness of his dick stretching her walls. Unyielding. She breathed hard, trying to relax around him. When she thought she might be able to wait, tolerate his thick intrusion, maybe just wait out this torture, he ducked down to suck at her nipple. Drew a cord of pleasure thrumming down to her center. At the flutter of her walls, he rocked harder into her. She whined against the contrast of how raw her pussy felt while his tongue lashed delightfully along her nipple.

Steve pressed his weight onto his knees, rocked harder. Her thighs had come up instinctively, drawing him in deeper and he could barely hold back. He slid his arms under her, hugging her against him from chest to groin, and he was full on thrusting balls deep now. Muttering praise against her ear. Over and over until the full feel of his thick cock dragging in her cunt was all she could feel. Until she was clinging around his neck. Fixated on the buzz of her wet clit brushing his pelvis. Her knees clutching his hips, eyes shut tight against the white hot fullness of his dick pounding into her.

He was inside her, caged all around her, he was all that she could feel and hear. Moaning and hot, so hot she might combust. And she did, finally, her silky wet walls pulsing and her clit rubbing against his pelvic bone in wave after wave of painful pleasure.

His hips finally stuttered, and he withdrew completely from her, cum spurting out onto her stomach in abundance, giving his cock a slippery friction between their hugging bodies to wring out his pleasure.

Steve dropped onto his forearms, heart drumming against his chest. He shuddered and held her tighter. She trembled beneath him, catching her breath. His hands ran up her sides, caressed her breasts, sifted in her hair. She swatted weakly, turning her face away.

That wouldn’t do at all.

Steve gripped her jaw firmly and forced her to look up at him. Her brow furrowed but she kept her eyes on his. He tightened his grip, finger tips squeezing her cheek to pucker her lips for him. He savored her still labored breaths mingling with his.

Steve’s tongue dipped down to lick at her pretty lips, mesmerized by her defiant gaze.

“Mine,” he breathed against her mouth.


	2. Chapter 2

Her eyes flew open. Warm limbs weighed her down, not unpleasantly. Until her mind woke up enough and reminded her where she was and who was holding her.

She wriggled away, slithering off the edge of the bed onto the floor. She heard him call her name, his voice sounding alarmed and a bit scratchy with slumber. Her hand fell on a piece of clothing which she pulled quickly over her naked front just as he peered down at her.

Captain fucking America.

Looking well-rested against the slight glow of sunlight aimed through the doorway, and disgustingly handsome with that lock of blond hair curled on his forehead.

She glared at him. He merely smiled sleepily at her, seeing she was unharmed and had unknowingly wrapped his t-shirt around her. The sight of his shirt stretched across her curves woke up other parts of his body.

Her glare morphed into a confused scowl when he crawled on his elbows toward her.

“Good morning.”

“Screw you.”

“Hmm. Would you like to, darling?”

She gaped in outrage. Then she hopped onto her feet, flung his shirt at his face and made for the bathroom.

A giddy laugh bubbled out of Steve. He couldn’t wait to start his day with his little lady.

Of course the bathroom door had no lock. Her ire was interrupted by Steve joining her in the bathroom.

“What the hell!” She quickly hopped into the tub.

Steve yanked open the shower curtain and stepped in. “You didn’t ask me if I wanted a shower too.”

“Hey!”

Steve twisted the shower spray open. The cold burst of water hitting her had her jumping in shock right up against him. He eagerly held her, shielding her as the water warmed up. He was unsurprised when she recovered and started squirming against him.

She pressed back against the tiled wall as his tall, muscular figure invaded her space. This was her first fully conscious glance at his completely bare body, all sinewy strength and broad shoulders like something right out of a goddamn comic series. She just barely reached the height of his chest. And was unnerved by his obvious arousal framed by thick powerful thighs.

“You can look, you know,” he teased, earning a click of her tongue accompanied by her dark eyes flashing with displeasure. “Shy?”

“No,” she snapped. Though not entirely sure the quick denial was helping her situation. She didn’t need him getting all smug at her this early in the morning. She was sore. And barely awake but the thought of escape tapped a steady reminder at the back of her mind. “Get out.”

He smirked and simply grabbed the soap and started lathering up. She determinedly averted her eyes and kept her arms hugging herself.

“Need help washing?” he offered.

She grumpily shrugged off his finger that tapped playfully at her shoulder.

“Just hurry up. Don’t you have, like, avenging and other stuff to get to?”

“Eventually,” he replied. “Important things first.” He fastened his grip around her wrists, bringing them to his chest. She tried pulling away but without result. “I want your touch,” he murmured, stepping close so there was minimal room between them.

“I don’t want—“

“Touch me.”

His words were a command that brooked no argument. It was what she imagined Captain America sounded like on the battle ground, and she quailed slightly. Biting her bottom lip, she flexed her fingers against his skin. His grasp loosened a touch, allowing her palms to slide slowly down, over his nipples, lower across hard cut abdominal muscles. When her hands reached his Adonis belt, he let her curve those delicate fingers against his hips, around to his ass, and then guided her to return to where he was rock hard for her.

He lifted her so he could easily access her lips and kiss her hungrily. Pinned against the wall held up by his thick thigh, she was distracted by his tongue invading her mouth, too late to realize he wrapped her hand around his aching member, keeping her grip tight around him and stroking with just the right pressure. His hold brooked no escape and so she had no choice in continue to pleasure him.

Panting against his lips, she couldn’t help focusing on the velvety wet sensation of his thick cock against her skin. On the upward stroke, her pinky pushed lightly at his slit, had him grunting with need. He tightened her hand around his cock, forcing her to tug hard up and down all the while, he pressed his thigh against her pussy, thrusting forward so her mound bounced against his hip bone. Made her gasp as her clit rubbed against his thigh muscles. He blinked water out of his eyes in order to catch her watching as her fist worked his cock.

She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and that just set him off. His cum shot out to mix with water droplets on her stomach, dribbling and pooling in her fist.

As he came down from his high, he kept rocking her against his thigh over and over. His tongue lapped rough and hot down her collarbone to bite a bruise above her breast. She couldn’t resist the tickle that built from her slit rubbing just right against those powerful leg muscles. And then he was pressing his thumb to her clit until her thighs clenched against his. The repetitive friction against her clit worked with Steve’s sucking at the skin of her neck. She drifted on that steaming pressure and then spasmed against his hip, her pussy pulsing with release.

Steve nuzzled at her, slowly setting her on her feet. After making sure she would be able to stand by herself, he got out of the stall.

She was left to hot water and steam, leaning against the tiled wall. When her body stopped trembling and her breathing evened out, feeling almost normal as if everything that had to do with Steve Rogers was a wild, forbidden fantasy that she was waking from, she went through the motions of washing her hair and body.

Wrapped in a towel, she stood in the closet. She had used whatever products lined the shower shelf, and tried not to think about how she now smelled like Captain America, that gentle fresh shampoo fragrance with the slightest hint of coconut. And she couldn’t stand around all day in only a towel. Opening the top drawer of the wooden dresser, she found rows upon rows of underwear in her regular brand. Okay, creepy, but not the worst thing out of this entire bizarre situation. Clothing hangers clattered as she grudgingly browsed the shirts, pants, dresses, athleisure wear. She had plenty of options, all simple in style, soft materials, high quality stitching. She reluctantly pulled on a ridiculously comfortable long sleeve over a pair of relaxed linen pants. If he dared comment on her appearance, she would absolutely not admit how comfortable everything felt. Nope, no way.

She entered the living area just as Steve was coming through The Door. She hadn’t even heard him leave, and barely caught a glimpse of the space beyond just as the door swung shut. All she saw was a warm light that gleamed off of wood floors.

He was setting plates down on the coffee table in front of the sofa.

She was very aware of how empty her stomach felt but instead made sure to turn away from Steve and headed towards the cupboards. She didn’t usually just go digging around in other people’s kitchen cubbies. She had to remind herself that there was no use in being polite or shy in this place.

“You got any coffee around here, or are you still a degenerate from back in the old days?” Before he could respond, she yipped in excitement, pulling out a coffee maker from the cupboard. “What kind of monster are you? Why was this not out and plugged in first thing?”

Steve grinned at her indignation. “Forgive me. I was rather distracted this morning.” He earned a scowl from her. “There’s some medium roast in that drawer for you.”

She found a few packages of a familiar brand of Arabica medium roast. Huh.

“How are you feeling?”

Sore. She felt sore. Because of course Captain America couldn't not live up to his supersized reputation, and had the biggest dick she and other commoners could only dream of encountering in their sad lives.

  
“I’m feeling like I’d rather not be trapped here any longer.”

He hummed with little sympathy.

She huffed.

“I need coffee,” she murmured, mostly to herself, and set about scooping ground coffee into the miraculous machine in front of her.

He waited patiently while the coffee brewed. Steve knew from multiple mornings on site of a repair project that she was not much up for chatting until after at least one cup of coffee. Although Steve had removed her from her Normal and placed her intentionally in a special place of his own chaotic life, he did not mean to disrupt all of her habits. He meant to give her what she liked, to learn what her body craved for, to live out his own desires that had been so efficiently disregarded in the past.

She cradled a mug of hot, blessed caffeine in her hands. Breathing in the nutty aroma, she finally directed her attention to Steve.

“So. Is this what all of the Avengers do for fun?”

“Have breakfast?”

She frowned at him.

Steve smirked. “Are you going to join me?”

She eyed the plates of pancakes, scrambled eggs and mixed berries. She really was hungry.

“I’ll eat if you leave,” she said.

Negotiating already? He should have expected it. He had read her project reports, had listened as construction directors hired by Tony reviewed the partnership of SI and community non-profits working together to put their city back together. She had simply served as manager on smaller sites, but her work was precise, efficient in the tasks delegated to her team, confident in her communication with big private companies like SI. It was Steve’s luck that this young woman had no real interest in business management, didn’t desire climbing any of the corporate ladders that usually called people to a place like NYC. She might have drawn the attention of Tony otherwise, or some other business magnate scouting for middle management talent.

No, she had wanted to help during the interim of feeling lost in a bizarre sad world where she would never see her parents again, would never share another road trip with her sister or celebrate any holidays together with them. She had extended relatives whom she wasn’t close with, didn’t talk to, wasn’t even connected with on Facebook. She had wanted to ease her grief amongst the general population dealing with fear and loss, and then she wanted to move on with her life, holding the memory of her family in her heart. And it was her bad luck to have wound up overstaying her time in New York City.

“I’m hungry,” Steve said. He took up his fork and dug in. “If you’re waiting until I leave, food’ll be cold by then.”

She was quiet, considering. She decided she would grab her plate and make herself comfortable away from his presence.

Steve watched her set her mug down to step closer.

Her hand reached out.

He pulled her plate out of reach.

“Come,” he said. He patted the cushion next to him.

She huffed and rounded the table. Again she reached down and in a flash, Steve grasped her wrist, tugged her into his lap.

She snarled. “Let me go.”

“I think we would both appreciate not doing this the hard way. Sit still next to me and enjoy breakfast. Or.” He exerted barely any effort in restraining her flailing arms, wrapping her close to his chest. “You can enjoy breakfast from here, in my embrace.”

“This is ridiculous,” she said, trying to lean away from him. She scowled back at his mild smile. “The world will flip when they find out how deranged Captain America is.”

“Steve. Call me Steve.”

“No,” she grumbled and kept wriggling.

Steve breathed out in subdued disappointment. “I’d like for us to get on with our meal. Otherwise, I might need to quell my hunger with something else that’s tasty.”  
She frowned in confusion until Steve smacked his lips against hers.

“Hey!” Her lips stung from his stolen kiss, and she didn’t quite feel safe from that hooded gaze of his.

“Mmmm,” he hummed. “I like that.” He moved to strike again, but she twisted away.

“Stop! Fine. Fine, just let me go.”

They finished breakfast without further interruption.

Steve had stepped out afterwards, leaving her alone for the morning. She had tried again and again to pry open the window. It was tall but not wide enough for her to ever squeeze through. And it didn’t look like it would open any time soon for her to shout for help.

She shook the handle of the Door furiously. She paced restlessly in between her failed attempts to open any potential exit. She kicked at the wall and paid for it with a bruised toe.

When Steve returned with lunch, he found her sweaty and annoyed, rubbing her toe.

“Eventful day?” he asked.

She turned on her heel and marched into the bedroom, slamming the door. He followed her easily, seeing as that door had no locks either.

“You really shouldn’t waste your energy. Come on. Lunch.”

She had no choice, he dragged her out of the living room by her hand and sat her down at the little dining table, displaying take-out boxes. She stared as he seated himself across from her. This was not what she imagined a kidnapping situation to be. Obviously, even though she was aware that normal-looking people do horrible things, her image of a grubby kidnapper did not match that of America’s shining beacon of heroism. Was there really no one who knew about his deranged hobby?

“In all seriousness, tell me. Is this what all Avengers do? Like, you all fight crime as a cover up for your own illegal engagements?”

“Of course not.” He placed plastic silverware out for them both. “I told you. This is about me and you.”

“So you’re what? Going to fuck me a few times and then kill me?”

His eyes flashed blue at her from beneath thick eyebrows. “You think I’m going to kill you?”

“I don’t think you’re going to just let me waltz out of here once you get bored of this.” She gestured around them.

Steve’s jaw was set sternly. “I’m going to be very clear. And it will be up to you how long you choose to deny the truth.”

“Your truth,” she hissed. “Not mine.”

He continued, gaze narrowing on her. “This is not a temporary arrangement. You are mine.”

The heat in those three words had her toes curling, even as she resisted lowering her chin.

“I am not going to hurt you. I am not going to kill you. I am not going to let you go.”

“Someone will report me missing.” She did not like how unbothered he was by her declaration.

“No. Your friend Catra has received several text messages explaining your departure.” She glared at him, realizing he had unlimited access to her contacts since her cell phone had presumably been confiscated by him. “Your previous co-workers know you were planning to move out of state. You don’t talk to any of your extended relatives. And even if all of that wasn’t true, I’ve caught up on modern technology. Any inquiries into your movements won’t yield results unless I allow it.”

She hadn’t forgotten his status. Of course Captain America would have access to the technology and people to make any person on earth disappear on a whim.

The plastic fork in her hand had snapped in her clenched fist. She shook in anger at the injustice. She decided to ignore both Steve and her most recent fresh dilemma – of being essentially wiped from society. She grabbed a new fork and stabbed into her take-out box of pasta.

“I’m not playing house with you, just so you know. I’m eating so I can fight you.”

“Fight me,” he echoed with a hint of awe. “I’m glad to hear it.”

She wanted to shake that grin off his stupid face. Instead she forced herself to gulp down pasta. He caught her grumbling under her breath.

“…stupid Captain…”

“You should call me Steve.”

She eyed him warily.

“Steve Rogers. Steve.” He offered a nod of encouragement.

“No thanks, Captain America.” Her enunciation of his Avenger title dripped with disdain. His small frown indicated clear disapproval, and she smirked. “If you think I’m going to play into your sick fantasy like we’re age old lovers, forget it. _Captain_.”

Steve sat back in his chair, tongue in his cheek.

Well, she certainly felt proud of herself for ruffling his feathers. Her linguine was tasting even better now.

Despite his apparent irritation, Steve polished off his mountain of pasta at the same time she finished her own. She stood and swept the take-out boxes and used napkins away into the trash. She went over to the sink and brought back a wet dish cloth. Steve sipped from a water bottle. She glanced at him with impatience.

“You can leave now.”

“Thank you for cleaning up.”

“You’re not welcome. Seeing as I’m stuck here for the time being, I don’t intend to allow my space to pile up with messes and unwelcome _items_.” She didn’t bother looking up at him, certain she was making herself clear.

Steve smirked and remained relaxed in his seat while she pushed in her seat and left the room. He pulled out his phone and checked his messages.

Three minutes later, she marched back in and stood in front of him with her arms crossed.

He blinked back her patiently.

“I told you that you can leave.”

“We haven’t had dessert.”

“I don’t want dessert,” she said.

“Oh, did I say ‘we’? My bad. Actually.” He stood up, inhaled deep with his arms stretched above him. “I need you to understand that negative attitude forfeited your dessert.” He continued stretching, holding one wrist to extend the stretch, dropping his gaze at her lazily.

“I told you,” she bit out. “I don’t want dessert.”

“I, on the other hand, very much earned my dessert.”

“Get out.”

Steve’s arms dropped down in a lasso of muscle. He wrangled her petite form against his chest.

She groaned in frustration. “Stop that!”

He grasped the backs of her thighs and dragged her up. To his delight, she quickly hooked her legs around his waist. She grimaced at her own response, even as she hung onto those very broad, very jacked shoulders to prevent herself from falling. Really, she had nowhere to go, as he secured her in place and took a handful of steps to reach the sofa.

She landed on her back on the sofa cushions with a super soldier weighing her down. He claimed her lips, demanding and greedy so that he was quickly able to slide his tongue into her mouth. She fought back only to moan as he sucked her tongue. She knocked her fists against him.

“Wait! No, wait.” She could barely catch her breath while he kissed and nipped down her neck.

He worked around her squirming to yank her shirt off of her. Held her around her waist while tugging her pants down her legs. She really did not want to process the sensation of his lips sucking at the skin on her torso. Instead, she focused on her, albeit vain, efforts to push him away.

Steve nipped the top of her thigh. He’d spent all morning thinking about her. He couldn’t wait any longer.

She breathed hard as he pulled her up and arranged her onto her knees to face the wall. He pressed his front against the flushed curves of her shoulder blades, her rear, the backs of her thighs. She fit so perfectly, and still he craved more. More of her flesh, more of her wetness, her soft skin branded on his.

His thick fingers explored her folds. Her breath hitched when he circled her clit. Trying to evade his fingers was a mistake, her pressing forward trapped his digits between her mound and the couch adding pressure to his touch. His other hand squeezed a breast before climbing up to grasp her jaw.

“Mmh!” He directed her lips to his. Her mind was trying to split between escaping his mouth and his persistent fingers between her legs. A short whine rose from her throat when he pushed two fingers into her. His hand massaged and teased her clit while he sought out just the right spot in her cunt until she was dripping.

“Mm. Ready for me?” He pressed his lips against her neck.

If she was coherent, she might have responded with words. With anything beyond a shiver as he grasped his hard cock and pressed up to her entrance that clenched in anticipation for him. He angled his hips up to impale her, sucking at her throat as if he could devour the keening gasps coming from her.

He kept thrusting. His eyes fell on her hand digging desperately into the sofa top, feeding the flames, urging him to lean forward so his weight could aid in powering his thrusts.

Fingers returned to the bud of her clit. She keened when he pinched that wet bud. It felt so wrong, so good. And his cock pumping into her so eagerly forced out gasped moans from her lips.

She couldn’t think beyond all the physical sensations of his desire. His weight pressing on her. His voice shameless in her ear.

“That’s it, baby. Already so – good at taking it,” he grunted.

Another snap of his hips and she clenched in climax. He kept pumping while her cunt gripped him viciously for his release. With a groan, he joined her over the precipice, grinding against her ass while his cock twitched out all of his cum into her.

***

She woke once more to his loose embrace. As she stretched awake in the tight space of the couch, he breathed deeply and curled his arms around her tighter.

“I’m trying to get up,” she complained.

“Mmm,” was his lazy response.

She grumped and angled her head down to close her teeth around the muscle of his arm. Despite being kept against her will, she had never physically harmed anyone in her life. So she didn’t actually bite hard.

She felt a puff of his breath as he chuckled.

“Hungry for me?”

“Psh,” she very eloquently put him in his place. Then she squirmed more roughly to turn around and face him.

“You took a long nap.” He blinked his eyes open at her.

Steve fucking Rogers. How dare he look at her with so much...comfort and...fucking adoration. 

She frowned fiercely at him.

“If you keep that up, your face will freeze permanently like that,” he said, teasing.

She was not in the mood. “You…You came in me.”

He grinned, seeing her face flush at the words she forced out. His kitten was not afraid of confrontation.

He poked at her arm. She shrugged away him away. “I made sure to prep you with an implant. Had to wait the recommended number of days to make sure it would work properly.”

“What the fuck?” she muttered. “Implant?”

“Seemed like the most convenient birth control route.”

Birth control? If she wasn’t so repulsed by the reminder that he had such long term plans for her, she might have appreciated the forethought. You know, if this was a normal two-sided relationship. She rubbed her arm hard over the spot he had indicated. Sure thing, if she put enough pressure on her flesh, she detected a thin bump right along the curve of her lavender sprig tattoo. She did remember itching at it a while ago, thinking her arm had somehow developed an allergic reaction, and then promptly forgot about it when her arm appeared fine the next day.

She didn’t ask exactly when he had found time to place it. That implied all sorts of additional privacy violations she was not ready to address.

“Where’d you even get it? How do you know it’ll work?”

“It might come as a surprise to you, but being a superhero allows me access to a lot of different resources. Don’t worry, sugar. I don’t want us to be bogged down by worries about contraceptives.”

“Right. Of course.” She pushed away, off the couch. “I should be thankful that I’m only being forced to have sex with you and not forced to have your babies too.”

He smirked. “Oh no. We don’t want anything to interrupt our time together.”

He relished the adorably grumpy face she threw over her shoulder.

He was going to miss those pink lips, so stubborn in her frown, while he was away. Fury had called him in for a recon mission. With the rest of the team off putting out other fires elsewhere, Steve couldn’t avoid the orders this time around.

He was going to miss touching her, most of all. Steve couldn’t deny how much he already craved her touch – from the moment he decided she would be the one person in the world he would keep all to himself. Maybe even from the moment that mind stone had woken him, he had been hungry for her touch.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More gratuitous smut.

The next morning.

She could not believe this bullshit. She had woken up to a note that read:

_I’m out for a few days for work. Make sure you eat._

So she spent the next five days alternating between throwing things to try breaking the window, shouting ‘Help!’ alternately at the door and at the window, tapping at the walls for potential hidden exits, crawling on the floors in search of potential trapdoors, laying in the thin patch of sunlight on the floor, and microwaving her meals.

\--

She looked up from the little paper cranes she had folded when the door swung open.

Steve stood there, breathing like he’d been running, and staring at her. She was so caught by surprise after five days of solitude that she could only stare back. He walked in, closing the door, and scooped her up in his arms. His wordless intense demeanor made her hesitant to provoke him. She made herself small in his lap.

After that he held her in his lap for what felt like hours. Large calloused palms skimmed down her hip to her thighs to her knees. His fingers parted her hair, massaging her scalp so that she pinched herself to keep from being lulled into dozing. It was like he knew all the right pressure points to knock someone into sleep. Probably did. He kept up this up until her stomach growled. Then he brought food, set it on the small dining table, and pulled her onto his lap again.

This was around the time her brain had caught up with the walking nonsense named Steve fucking Rogers who had left her alone without telling her how long he would be gone or that he would swoop back in with a bust lip, all extra clingy.

She squirmed and pushed at him until he delivered a firm smack to the side of her thigh.

“Behave,” he said.

“Like you are?” she scoffed. “Holding me here illegally? That’s not ‘behaving’.”

“You gonna eat that?” He went to snatch an eggroll from her plate. She slapped his hand.

“You’re awful. If you’re going to go off and save the world you could at least let me out of the damn house.”

“I made sure you were well stocked here. This will likely happen many times in the future.”

“Because you don’t plan on letting me go.”

He nodded, chowing down on his food.

The nerve.

“You going to indulge me by sharing what exactly I’m supposed to do if you die out there and I’m stuck here for weeks until I run out of food?”

“Plan C.”

“Which is??”

“I have a worst case scenario measure set in place.”

She grimaced. “What about Plan B?”

“Not dying.”

She groaned with undisguised aggravation.

“Wanna hear Plan A?”

“No,” she grouched. He shrugged. She purposely got in the way when he tried scooping food from his plate to his mouth.

“Keep that up and I’ll tie your hands.”

“And then what? Starve me too?” She elbowed him so that his spoon clattered to the floor. Without missing a beat, he reached for the silk sash matching her dress and slipped it from her waist, then proceeded to make good on his promise.

And that’s how she ended up grudgingly accepting bites of food that he fed her, because she was too annoyed to try and go hungry for the night.

Steve cleaned up when they were finished. He turned and leaned back on the counter, meeting her scowl. She was perched on the couch, hands still tied. He missed her so much. Her pouty lips were begging to be kissed. Steve pushed away from the counter and approached her. She eyed him warily, didn’t bother resisting when he pulled her to her feet.

“You got a bit of caramel left here.” He rubbed her skin near her mouth.

And whose damn fault was that. She would have enjoyed her apple crumble dessert much more if each sweet bite hadn’t been brought to her lips by the super soldier in front of her. She realized his thumb kept gently grazing on her lips and she tilted her head away.

“Haven’t you got it all off yet?”

“Mm. Not yet.”

He pressed his lips to hers. She leaned away on instinct but he kept her in place by cupping the back of her head. The lick of his tongue against hers startled her, her shoulders twisting to thwart his advance until he broke the kiss.

Her face was upturned and he watched her hitched breathing, reading the conflicted wrinkle in her brow. For all that she tried to react as if he repulsed her, Steve knew he could convince her soft little body that his touch meant only pleasure.

Her gaze had dropped away from him. “Let me go,” she ordered, sullen.

When he didn’t respond, she glared up at him. He smiled down at the pout on her red lips. “Mkay. But only if you give me a kiss.” He angled his cheek towards her.

Hesitant, suspicious. She didn’t trust him for a second. He urged her with a tip of his head. Gritting her teeth, she quickly touched her nose to his jaw.

He gave a breathy laugh. “Darling, that barely counts. Come. You don’t do things by halves, do you?”

“Are you kidding me?” she hissed.

He waited, with his cheek still presented for her. Growing more annoyed by the minute, she ordered, “Come closer! You’re too damn tall.”

He obliged. When he felt her lips upon his cheek, he pressed forward for a full, lingering peck from her soft lips that forced her to arch back.

Once he was satisfied, he retreated. She pressed her lips together against the tingling from his kiss and his cheek basically smothering her lips. He whispered her name, catching her attention.

  
“We done, Captain?”

He raised his hands innocently. Before she could escape, he asked, “You’re really not going to call me Steve?”

“Nah.”

“Reconsider?”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re Captain America.” She didn’t know why it bothered him so much but she was determined to keep it up if it meant he wasn’t one hundred percent enjoying this dirty fantasy she was trapped in.

“Well. Since you’re so stubborn…” Steve smirked. “We’ll put that pretty mouth of yours to use in other ways.”

She blinked away the tears clinging to her lashes, sucking him deeper in her mouth. She was kneeling in front of Steve beside the bed. His hand gripped her hair firmly, watching through slitted eyes as she bobbed her head.

She made such an erotic picture, her pretty eyes teared up and determined. Her delicate wrists remained bound at the small of her back that curved into round hips. Just the welcome back he had dreamt of.

Steve fucking Rogers.

_“I want you to take as much of me as you can. We can go slow.”_

He had said that and something like indignation had flared in her to hear him try to coddle her. As if she was his virginal sweetheart. As if they were sharing an intimate night of passion together. As if she was willing to take his praise. That’s nowhere close to what she was to this man. She wasn’t going to take his bullshit - not the hard way he grasped her nor the soft whispers he used to woo her.

Which was how she ended up swallowing up his cock with a vengeance. It took everything in her not to bite down on his thick uncut member. But as soon as he entered the heat of her mouth and he clenched his jaw as though the touch of her tongue alone unwound him, his cheeks flushing pink with unrestrained desire, she knew she just had to. To show him. To rock him off balance from the tight control he held over her this evening. 

Something about the warm salty taste of him, about the sighs of evident wrecked pleasure coming from his throat, had her chest blooming smugly. With delirious pleasure. She felt her underwear soaking, skin tingling with each pulse of her heart. She pressed forward so his tip hit the back of her throat, kept it there, swallowed around the tip. Swallowed again. Sucked hard. Ran the flat of her tongue up his cock over and over, teased the tip, swirled and sucked him in deep. And his hips jerked, unloading his cum straight down her throat. She hadn’t been prepared and gagged so that he let go of her hair.

Steve breathed hard, watching her pant and gulp to clear her throat. Unable to wipe his creamy release dripping from her lips and chin so that it slid down to her neck. Lord, that was an irresistible sight. She did so well. It wouldn’t be long at all before she would swallow everything he gave her.

Still hard and hot all over, Steve grasped her arms and pulled her up. She tried to pull away from him. With her arms tied behind her, she lost balance and landed on the bed on her side. Steve pressed her over onto her stomach. He reached around and easily pulled the front of her dress open, jerked it down her shoulders to expose her soft skin for him.

“Untie me you son of a –“

His arm hooked around her torso to yank her on her knees, ass in the air so that the silk dress pooled down past her waist. Exposing her round ass for his view. He listened to her pant into the mattress and strained her bindings, arching beautifully when he hooked two fingers under the drenched crotch of her panties. The icing on the cake was seeing how wet her pussy was. He ran his thumb down her soaked slit, nearly drooling to feel and hear how aroused she was. Steve didn’t care how long she denied it. But she knew on some level that she belonged to him, that he would make it good for her, and this was proof.

He gathered her slick on his fingers to mix with her saliva still on his hard throbbing cock. He didn’t bother tearing the panties off her, simply yanking it to one side. Watching his cock get swallowed into her wet heat drove him wild. A clipped moan escaped from her. Steve pushed in to the hilt, grinning sloppily before groaning at the perfect squeeze of her cunt around him.

His hands spread wide to run over her ass, her hips, squeezing at her waist. One hand slanted under her to cup her breast and play with a nipple. More hushed noises were coming from where she hid her face in the blanket. He gripped the curve of her waist, pulled her back hard on his length again and again until she grunted with each yank. He could hear how her heart pounded. He licked his lips to see her press her forehead to the mattress back and forth like she could deny the pleasure he pumped into her.

Pulling out, he flipped her on her back. He scooped her onto his lap and reached down to aim his cock and thrust into her.

“No more complaints, huh?” he asked, cupping the back of her neck to bring her close so he could suck her lips. “Hm?”

Her pants mixed with grunts. He watched her eyes fight to focus on him, and she grit her teeth. Before she could form a response, he leaned his weight back on his haunches, his hips driving to meet hers faster. His clever thumb circled and flicked her clit. She moaned, head falling back. Held up by his hands that gripped her at her shoulder and hip, she couldn’t help grinding into his thrusts.

Her skin flushed, her spine tingled in hot static all the way down to her curled toes. She gasped for breath while he kept plowing into her nailing her right in that spot that had her eyes rolling back. She was lost to the rest of the world, existing only where Steve touched her body. She bit down on her lips as the unhelpful thought flashed in her mind that this kind of ecstasy didn’t belong between her and this man so eagerly dominating her.

Her eyes dropped to find his blue gaze looking at her from under full dark lashes. She could barely stand the adoration in his eyes. Could no longer bear the impending release where his body connected with hers.

Blood pricked at her lips that attempted to withhold moans, her nails dug into her palms. She clenched her pussy around him intentionally, making him stutter into frantically flexing his hips and then he sank hard and deep into her once, balls rushing to empty his essence into her. The hot rush of his cum flooding her pussy where he buried his cock so insistently pushed her over the edge, her spine tensed with uncontrollable pleasure. The pads of his fingertips kept massaging her clit, and she forced herself to suppress her moans, her mind whirled in haze, resisting reality for as long as her climax continued to pulse. 

Steve licked hard at her mouth until she released her bottom lip. He swiped at the bead of blood there, dipped his tongue into her mouth.

He had never cared for an overuse of tongues when kissing. But with her, he was addicted. Intoxicated and greedy. He planned on using his tongue to fuck her tonight. Maybe keep her tied and at his absolute mercy. But first, he kissed her as she struggled to catch her breath. His tongue claimed the inside of her mouth, daring her to keep him out of what was his.

Her own tongue pushed his but that was the single protest against him seeking every soft wet flavor from her. In his lap, beautiful with the after glow of pleasure, pliant for him to embrace.

Oh yes, this was right where she belonged.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where we pretend characterization and plot?  
> Comments make me giddy.

She was alone for most of the next day, due to Steve needing to attend an extended mission debrief, whatever the hell that meant. He had woken her by licking up flames between her thighs with his god damn tongue. She was half-awake when she came full on the first time as he sucked and rubbed his mouth to her pussy.

_“Can’t get enough of your taste.”_

_“Better bottle me up then.”_

So her sarcasm was not delivered very coherently that early in the morning. That, and he was twice her size and apparently wasn’t lying because he kept eating her out until she came twice more. She had squirmed against his grasp, weak from his attention. He only relented when she had mumbled, _“Steve…”_

Of course, now that she was awake with water beating down on her in the shower, she realized ‘relent’ was the wrong way to describe how he’d taken her from behind as they laid on their sides. He had hooked her top leg to his by her ankle, pulling out and thrusting back into her so that she arched her back. _“Fuck. You feel perfect.”_ She could still feel his hand cupping her mound covetously. There was no escaping his hand on her vee adding friction on her clit and his cock claiming her so hard behind, dual pressures she was caught between. Well.

She was clearly in the shower for a reason. It wasn’t only Steve’s cum that was being cleaned off her.

“Ugh!” She clapped her palms to her face. 

She was surprised she could stand in the shower this long after this morning and last night.

Finally, she stepped out of the shower. In the middle of patting her towel all over, she stopped and stared at herself in the mirror for a long time. Sore hips took a backseat.

“Son of a bitch.”

How the fuck was she only noticing this now.

Nine. Nine, from what she counted. In varying shades of purple and red. Bruises scattered over her body. The large colored shapes on her hips she counted as one big one because the alternative would be to walk down a very short memory lane to Steve’s hands gripping her, each of his fingers deliberately biting into her as he fucked her from behind and anything above nine was just. Not conceivable.

Bruises. Goddamn _hickies._ From goddamn Captain America.

_At least he punched Nazis._

Wow, now was not the time to list the merits of a kidnapping Avenger.

“One of these days. Just watch. Steve. Rogers.” She swore.

Steve hadn’t managed to leave SHIELD until near 11 PM, shutting down a few more of Natasha’s attempts at setting him up on blind dates. He sometimes wondered if she was optimistic or just stubborn. Probably just stubborn.

From the lingering scent of ginger and basil, he could tell she had already eaten. She glanced at him while putting away the ipod he’d brought for her yesterday.

She wasn’t turning off music to give him her undivided attention. Steve knew it was so she could keep up her guard against him. The thought made him smile. That ocean of yearning inside him, blue and unfathomable as the mind stone itself, preened in waves.

She rolled her eyes. What the hell was he so giddy about this time of night?

Oh no. Oh hell no. Steve’s attention was all on her now and the heat of his hands was penetrating through her dress and dammit he was not going to commandeer her daily schedule or her libido.

She leaned back and scooted away from him on the couch.

He peered at her with amusement, but didn’t persist.

“You um.” She swallowed hard. “You were gone for quite a few days.”

He nodded, staying still to see how she would continue as he had not planned on addressing his work schedule. His fingers itched to curl in her dark tresses, use them to bring her closer so he could kiss her. “And I missed you.”

She noticed his tongue peek out to wet his bottom lip, like that would help bring her taste back to him.

“Could you tell? From last night?” Large puppy eyes watched her. “And this morning?”

She wanted to gouge out those puppy eyes that glimmered just this side of naughty. Maybe pickle them in a jar and sell them to the Smithsonian. She swallowed hard. Not at all distracted by the swipe of his tongue. His lips. No, not his lips either. “You. Wait, your lips.” Her gaze narrowed, looking closer. “There was a big cut there. Bruising.”

“The serum.”

Serum? Right. This was Steve Rogers, selfless science experiment and hero of a world war, come back from the dead to vanquish modern villains with his enhanced strength and endurance and delusion, apparently.

“It heals you fast. What else?” she asked.

“What else?”

“Uh, I was saying…”

Steve knew she could sense his growing desire to take her. He wasn’t hiding it. And she was stalling. “Yes, sweetheart?”

“What else does the serum…?”

“You want to study me?” His hands slipped around her waist. “All the traits the serum gave me?” His nose skimmed down her hair line to her ear. “Didn’t much enjoy those scientists poking and prodding me. But you? I don’t mind you prodding at me at all.” His dropped kisses to her jaw. “You can look and touch as long as you want. As much as you want.”

His warm breath butterflying against her skin, she had to uncurl her fists and push at his chest.

“Let’s just…I mean, why don’t you.” She spluttered for something. Anything. “Like, can’t we just talk?”

He quirked a brow at her but she rushed on before he could interrupt. “I mean, I’m here obviously just as you planned and everything is so friggin’ weird. And fuck. I mean I barely know you and you say you know me and want to keep me here and you’re not planning to let me go so what I’m just supposed to be your little toy like can’t you at least hold a conversation with me first for chrissake?”

She resisted breaking eye contact. Couldn’t let him overwhelm her again.

He smiled. “Whatever you want.”

“What other side effects did you have?”

Steve summarized the fantastical work of Dr. Erskine. He was concise, efficient. Her mind scrambled at questions to get him talking, to convince him she wanted to learn about him, his past. Any kind of attention that wasn’t physical.

“What’s your favorite food?”

“Where have you traveled?”

“What was the first thing you did when you came back?”

“How did you make it out of so many Nazi battles?”

Soon she was not keeping a running list of random questions in her head so much as asking questions in response to the wild tales he shared.

“You just jumped on a grenade?”

“What did they say would happen to your body after injecting you with questionable substances?”

  
“You just jumped out of a plane?”

She was determined to keep him distracted and keep his hands off her. Her efforts prevailed for the most part. Somewhere in the middle of Steve sharing his first time meeting Bucky Barnes, his hand closed around hers and tugged her into the bedroom. He didn’t initiate anything, but he did undress and flash an expectant look at her.

She pressed her lips together, and settled on the other side of the bed from him. He continued talking in a soft voice with a faraway quality to it. She thought maybe he had wanted to move around because this may been hard for him, talking about his childhood best friend, who had died and whose death Steve very obviously placed in his own hands. Despite the forthcoming anecdotes he delivered, there was something detached about his delivery of a lot of his responses. Like they were faraway tales from a different person. She couldn’t help concluding that it made some sense, that his words told a different person, a different life. How else does one cope with the existential discord of time travel.

She didn’t realize she was watching him intently until he turned his head to look at her. His eyes dimmed to a velvet grey under the lamp light.

She shifted under the sheets, bringing her eyes to the ceiling. It was time to stop listening to Captain America’s sob story. She needed him to talk about something else.

“What are they like? The people you call friends now? The people you work with?”

“The Avengers?”

“Yeah. The very powerful individuals who saved a bunch of people’s lives.”

He was quiet for a bit. “There are always lives we can’t save.”

“Tell me about them,” she said again. Because she could predict in his tone of voice, that he wanted to bring up those specific lives he couldn’t save. Her family. And she didn’t want him to touch that part of her. He had touched so much, but she wouldn’t let him have that.

Steve talked about them, his colleagues. His team of hot messes and reformed criminals and half-humans. Honest about his initial skepticism regarding each one of them, just as he was honest about how deeply he respected each one of them.

She woke quietly a few hours later. In the night, she made out Steve’s form next to hers. He breathed evenly in sleep, had her hand in his, grasped atop his chest. Unbidden, his words echoed at her.

_“It was excruciating. I was sure every cell in my body would explode. And then everything went numb. Thought I’d died, until the machine opened and I was being gawked at by everyone in the lab.”_

_“You’d think rescuing hundreds of people would earn a soldier a break. No, the Colonel just upped my training. Said he couldn’t trust I wouldn’t revert back to being asthmatic unless I proved otherwise.”_

Her ears strained to focus on his breathing - peaceful, uninterrupted. Not asthmatic at all.

She didn’t understand. He had a good thing going right now. He was loved and revered. He had said he needed everything from her. Even if she wanted, she didn’t think she had anything to offer someone like him.

No, she wasn’t listening to understand him, she reminded herself under the cloud of sleep. Steve’s words were not a reality she could try to analyze. His words were tall tales where she didn’t belong.

She loosened her hand out of his.

\---

Steve’s eyes flew open. What had forced him out of sleep so abruptly? Raised the hairs on his arms in alarm?

Not a feeling. Not a sound. It was a smell.

He threw the blanket off and made it to into the living room just as the sparks blinking in the microwave gave way to a flame.

“Fire!”

He whipped his head around at the screech. She stood on the couch, pointing over his shoulder and screamed again.

“Fire! We have to get out of here!”

“Shit!”

Smoke and more sparks burst from the microwave. Smoke filled the air.

Instead of leading them outside, she found herself getting pulled into the bedroom. Steve pushed her in, closed the door.

What the fuck.

When she went to open the door, it appeared he had blockaded her in. He was actually trying to kill her??

When Steve was sure the living room was no longer a death trap, he went to yank open the French doors that led to the bedroom.

She ignored him with his hands on his hips. Too frustrated was she with not having actually escaped.

“What were you thinking?”

She stayed quiet with her back to him. Steve pulled in a deep breath, jaw locked. He knew one evening of baring his heart out to her wasn’t going to make a difference. Even if she didn’t truly want to get to know him, Steve found words flowing uninhibited that evening, with no shame. It had been unexpectedly therapeutic.

He hadn’t expected her to try burning the place down in the same evening.

Well, early morning. Steve sighed. The place was clear of smoke and there wasn’t anything in the bedroom she could use to set on fire.

She heard his footsteps and the loud thud of the outer door closing. 

She knew killing Steve wouldn’t help her case. But she had hoped the microwave going up in flames would be enough of an emergency to force his hand in relocating her.

Fuck. _What now?_

Head throbbing from lack of sleep, she dozed for a bit. When she stumbled to get some water, Steve still hadn’t returned. The clock said it was close to noon.

Brushing her hair out of her face impatiently, she started yanking open the few cupboards and drawers in each room. A pile of hard objects started collecting. A butter knife, a travel mug, all the silverware, two ceramic plates. Anything of enduring quality.

She went to work. Whipped both plates at the window. She wasn’t an expert mark, but her frustration lent strength. Things broke or rebounded. Her aim started getting worse. She blinked back the sting of tears as exhaustion ate away at her. She ignored the thoughts ghosting in her head. She had tried to play things cool but she had no way to communicate with anyone other than Steve.

The walls were steadily closing in on her, with Steve’s arms adding to her suffocation. She had no one outside of this damn place anyway. What the fuck was she going to do?

Two minutes bled into ten. Maybe an hour had passed, maybe more. Her arms ached.

Suddenly she stopped, turning sharply around at the sound of that lock that clicked to remind her of her prison.

She barely noticed the mess and debris created by her spinning temper. Her vision honed in on Steve. He made to close the door and then she had something in her hands.

Steve grunted at the sting of a spoon hitting his arm. It was nothing he couldn’t handle. She was now pointing a bigger knife at him. Her name on his lips prompted her to rush over and press the blade to his shirt. He didn’t stop her.

“You’re going to let me go,” she said, livid with herself for trying to use words.

“I’m not. You want to hurt me?” He held her under those blue eyes that gave no hint of yielding. “Go on. Try it.”

He stood absolutely still. She added pressure to the point of the blade. He just watched, fueling her rage.

Damn him! She pushed the knife more. More.

_Why is he doing this? Why can’t he just open the damn door!_

She was leaning her body weight into the knife and before she knew it, the blade slipped past its initial resistance and into his flesh. She seemed to feel the blade slide through his muscle fibers with her entire body. She was stepping back, panting, panicked. Distantly, she heard a clatter.

Steve was numb to the gash she had opened on his chest. He’d survived much worse, and right now he needed to contain her rage. He had planned on offering a truce after her attempted larceny, maybe indulge her in her favorite foods and sweets. Coax her into another night of stories. Maybe she would give up some of her own this time. It was in her nature to compromise.

But she greeted him with a torrent of violence and he decided to go a different route.

He grasped her by her upper arms. She yelled and swore at him as he dragged her through the bedroom doors and tossed her onto the bed.

“I admire your spirit. I do, truly.” He gathered the skirt of her dress past her hips and yanked it off her head with efficiency.

She tried kneeing him in the stomach. His large hands found her hip and flipped her onto her stomach. Steve evaded her kicks while twisting her undershirt around her wrists, securing it to the headboard.

“—you asshole!”

“Shh, sh.” He tossed away her underwear. Curling over her, he held her in place with her hips up. “I got you.”

She shook her head furiously.

“You know I’m not letting you go.”

She growled, rejecting his words.

“I’ll show you. I’ll show you that I mean to keep you.” He pressed his lips to the top of her spine. His fingers delved between her silken folds.

Her pussy tightened. Her thoughts scrambled as her senses hastened to focus on his rough fingers stroking her, and she hated how his touch made lust bloom in her.

He buried his nose in her hair. Barely felt the sting of the wound she sliced into him. “I’m yours." She could spill his blood. He was all hers. "You can do whatever you want with me. But I’ll keep convincing you to do only the good things.” He smirked as she whined in protest. Two fingers dipped past her entrance and he hummed in delight to find her wet, his own ire fading. “Let me show you, baby.”

She wasn’t going anywhere, bound at the wrists and Steve’s hands possessing her. He squeezed one breast, thumbing her nipple. A bolt of heat, heightened by her adrenaline, lit straight down to her core where he had gathered her juices to massage over her clit. Her back bowed of its own account so that her ass rose higher. Steve licked his lips at the sight of those plump ass cheeks and her dark pink folds clenching and fluttering for him. He hurried to free his erection, kicking his pants off. He ducked down to twist his tongue between her wet folds, eliciting a needy keen from her.

“Need you so bad right now.” His fingers swiped along her slit to gather her plentiful slick and run it over his cock to mingle with sticky precum. “I know you’re angry. That’s okay. I’ll make you feel good.”

Her breath hitched, feeling him stretch her like that first time all of over again. She couldn’t have imagined his cock could feel any bigger, slide any deeper than he’d already proved.

“That feel good?” he whispered.

 _Yes. Yesyesyes…_ She clenched her teeth against responding.

He started fucking her without restraint. Every powerful thrust jolted her forward in an erotic repetition that urged Steve to tighten his hands on her beautiful curves.

“Oh…god…Yes.”

Her words stuttered into gasps, barely registering his grip on her ass as he drove hard into her again and again. Next thing, he pushed her down to her stomach and held himself up on his hands, bounced his cock in and out of her wet cunt. She cried out at the pain edging each sharp angled pump, his pelvis smacking her ass in a lewd beat. He threw more weight into it, forcing her clit to rub into the blankets, drawing louder whimpers out of her.

She came with a whine but the release pulsing through her core blurred into a throbbing need as he kept thrusting roughly until he came with a hoarse growl, rutting to fill her just like her pussy wanted.

He was still hard as he slipped out of her. Then he manhandled her onto her back. She was half out of her mind, lungs burning for breath when Steve helped himself to the feast between her legs. He had no idea he could be so addicted to the flavor of his and her juices served on her nether lips.

Her swollen little clit begged for attention. She sighed loudly when he sucked on that bud, too weak to evade the pleasure he was determined to give her.

He kept her thighs wide open with a bruising hold while tonguing her clit lightly. He watched greedily as her stomach flexed and tightened with her quickly impending climax.

She twitched her objection when his lips left only to latch onto a sensitive nipple. When he pushed his cock back into her pussy and bottomed out, he bit down on her nipple and she came suddenly with a strained cry. Still quivering, all she could do was take it as he fucked her into the mattress, not allowing her to come down from her climax.

Steve pressed the flat of his tongue on her red, bitten nipple, then reared onto his haunches and rolled his hips up once, buried to the hilt hard, hard enough to lift her ass off the mattress.

“Steve!” came her beautiful gasping cry.

That was it, that was the prize, that strangled voice possessed him. He withdrew sharp and then proceeded with harsh claiming thrusts that kept going, that let him lose himself in her sobbing and gasping.

“Again,” he panted, eyes fixed on her sweet mouth. He wanted to hear his name from her again. She didn’t register his demand, but the clap of his thighs against her ass, his pelvis meeting hers pulled it from her lips.

“S-Steve,” she uttered deliriously before squeaking in climax again.

And he came so hard but he didn’t stop. He kept returning to the delicious grip of her pussy. His seed and her juices squelched obscenely, dripping down onto his own thighs and Steve could only watch her face crumble and her body undulate as he made sure she was his, all his, until finally, he came again and collapsed onto her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all, plot is hard. Some alternating pov here and upcoming chapters. Comments save a life.

Something was wrong again. As soon as his key turned in the door knob to his apartment, Steve knew something was wrong again.

Five paces into his apartment, he blinked at the hole in his wall. It was small, which indicated to him that she had not made it out.

It was when he had opened the door leading to her rooms that Steve had to give her credit for being more reckless than he’d expected. There she was, slumped on the ground that was strewn with a suspicious combination of kitchen chemicals.

“Honey,” he breathed, now starting to panic seeing her face lifeless and stained with soot. Blood had congealed above her brow. He could feel her slow pulse under his palms so she was only unconscious but he had no idea what kind of fumes she had cooked up and inhaled when she set off what looked like a home-made bomb.

As soon as she heard Steve’s footsteps get muffled on his way to the bathroom, she sat up and pulled a pair of sandals from under the couch and slipped out of The Door. There was no time to bask in finally breathing air beyond those two little rooms. Before she knew it, she had passed through a very normal looking apartment and arrived to a second door that was not even closed all the way. A door that led to the outside.

Sweet heavens, she was really going outside? She didn’t waste time. She resisted the warning bell ringing in her mind to check if she was being followed, to hesitate. No, she was out in a plain apartment hallway. Into an elevator that dropped smoothly and quickly. Into an empty lobby.

Once she was out the building entrance, she started running. Her sandals met concrete and that was when she heeded that mental warning bell blaring to her that Captain America was fast and could catch up to her if she didn’t run. Her senses dialed up as her muscles flared to allow her to sprint.

Which made it that much more painful when her ears caught the rhythmic pattern of running feet beating into the sidewalk behind her.

“Fuck.” She swerved around a handful of people spread out in her tracks. Taking a sharp turn behind an apartment complex, she ducked into a parking lot and crouched between parked cars.

She forced herself to count to sixty and when she wasn’t immediately seized she peered above the cars around her. Her pursuer was not in sight. She wrestled her blue dress off, having layered it above a pair of shorts and t-shirt, then darted back out to the main road and kept a brisk pace while undoing the braid of her hair. She kept her head down. Veered off into a park, making for a line of trees next to the man-made lake.

There, she paused to scout the area around her. She was making herself dizzy, turning a three-sixty at this point. None if it helped though. Because there he was.

“Son of a bitch,” she muttered as Steve fucking Rogers made directly towards her. So much for her planned outfit change.

He was shaking his head, though she noticed he doesn’t appear to be angry at her. Perhaps annoyed. She would have imagined the wholesome Captain to be emitting some kind of Disappointed Frown at her. 

“I’ll scream,” she warned him as he approached arm’s reach of her. She doesn’t get a verbal response. Instead, Steve has leaped towards her and yanked her off of the walking path all within a single breath.

When she was able to reorient to lying on the grass, her mind was only half-way to catching up. Around the small park, pedestrians have started screaming, running. Piercing bangs grew louder.

She’s pulled to her feet in the next breath.

“What’s-“

“We need to find cover,” Steve said. He’s partially curled over her.

And then he wasn’t. She realized he had knocked her aside in order to engage with a guy, a fucking white ninja or emo Marine.

She gasped when a small patch of earth exploded next to her where a gunshot had missed her face by an inch.

Why the fuck was she the fucking target??

She scrambled behind a tree and then Steve was pulling her into a run.

“—assist with hostiles at –“

She didn’t catch everything Steve was relaying into his watch, too busy trying not to trip over her feet.

She did catch Steve’s hitched breath as he twitched once in pain.

“You’re—“

Her words died when he pulled her to a stop. Two gunmen appeared a hundred paces ahead.

She was gasping for breath. Still, she managed a quiet, “What now?”

He squeezed her hand. “You’re okay.”

Deafening shots fired. Steve’s arms were around her, his warmth engulfing her.

\---

When the dust cleared figuratively, and Steve completed his visual sweeping of the immediate perimeter, he helped her back on her feet.

She closed her hands in fists against the trembling nerves still in her system. What had felt like a whole movie montage of her and Steve Rogers coming face to face with death couldn’t have been more than fifteen minutes. They hadn’t even made it out of the park.

Barely, she registered the police vehicles nearby, the public safety figures approaching those men who had shot at her. Steve Rogers was talking to two men, and he turned to her.

She didn’t resist him as he swept one arm around her, drawing her into his side.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She peered up at him. He looked concerned at her hesitation, when she stepped back and exclaimed, “You were shot!”

And indeed, Steve’s posture was off. One of the men pressed against Steve’s back. He grimaced in pain.

“Let’s get you to medical.”

Steve leaned in toward her. “Let’s go. Catra can keep you company while I clear things up with the team.”

Her eyes grew wide. “Catra?”

He nodded.

What the fuck was he up to now?

\---

As you sat in the waiting area of medical, you debated on and off internally. Should you walk out those doors right now? You couldn’t trust Steve Rogers. Shouldn’t trust him. So why had you tagged along when his colleagues drove straight to Avengers Tower? Why were you sitting like a good little puppy, waiting for Steve to show up and explain himself?

But, Catra. Was it true that the training Catra had completed had been with SHIELD? She was former military. The two of you had met on the New York restoration project and really hit it off. In late night conversations about where life might lead you in the future, Catra had hinted a government security organization had reached out to her due to her highly recognized sniper skills. She hadn’t been at liberty to share details about the organization.

Someone called your name. You looked up and sure enough, your friend appeared – complete with jacket sporting the SHIELD logo - having thrown open the doors and was striding towards you.

Your life felt like a complete joke.

“How the hell did you end up like this?” Catra asked as she took a seat.

“Cat. It’s really you.”

“Yeah it’s really me! I couldn’t believe when I heard it was you and that shit went down out there today.”

The last time you had seen each other was the night before you woke up to Steve Rogers. You had been celebrating. Catra was about to start her new job, which included additional rigorous training and would be busy for weeks. You had been on your way out of New York.

“You’re not hurt?” Catra checked you over.

You shook your head.

“So what the hell?” Catra repeated. “I mean, I know you were trying to tie up loose ends before heading out west but you never told me you were dating Captain Steve Rogers.” Catra chuckled to herself. “You and me were both trying to be discreet and turns out all this time I was training with SHIELD and you were seeing Captain America.”

As you hugged her, you realized you weren’t alone. Your words, tripping over one another to try and explain that you certainly were not dating Captain America, died in your throat.

“This is Agent Romanov. She wanted to come by and update you on Captain Rogers.”

Romanov. Black Widow.

Your mouth swung shut, returning the redhead’s assessing look. This was an ally of his. His friend. You needed to be careful.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, despite the circumstances,” Romanov said.

You gave a small nod in return.

“He’s not completely out of the woods. The doctors were able to remove the bullets but a type of poison was released into Steve’s body from one bullet. It’s not a substance known in medical history. We suspect the substance was collected from some of the alien tech left behind from the battle in the city. Quite a few criminal organizations have been selling and messing around with the alien tech under the table.”

You didn’t know how to respond to that. You didn’t exactly want to hear that Steve died, or even that he sustained lasting injury. And yet, you did not feel any satisfaction that Steve had been hit by some criminal. It didn’t feel like karma or justice on your behalf.

“You can see him now, though.”

Well, you were even less sure of facing Steve. Maybe you should plead with Catra to help you get out of this building. No information had to be shared. Nobody had to know about the Captain’s reign over you these past few weeks. Hell, you weren’t sure anyone in this building would believe you.

Catra called your name softly. You looked up, meeting your friend’s sympathetic gaze.

“It’s okay. I know what happened today was scary. I won’t let anything happen to you. Neither will Captain Rogers.”

Now you knew it was _very likely_ that Catra wouldn’t believe Captain America had kidnapped you.

But if the people here believed you were in some kind of relationship with him, it would only raise more suspicion if you walked out of the building right now with no further explanation.

Still feeling Romanov’s eyes on you, you leaned into Catra’s hug. “Can I…I don’t want to disturb him while he’s healing. Can I stay with you for a bit?”

“Sure, of course,” Catra said.

“He asked after you,” Romanov said coolly. “Agent? You need to attend the briefing for this week’s mission."

“Mission?” You looked at Catra. She nodded. “You’re leaving?”

“Day after tomorrow.” Catra checked her watch. “I’m sorry, hon. I do need to run in a bit.”

“Let’s walk her over to Cap's room. Then we can head to the briefing,” Romanov suggested.

You had no choice but to allow Catra to lead you out of the waiting area.

When you all reached his room, Catra gave a short greeting and then departed with a promise to see you as soon as the mission ended. Romanov paused in the doorway.

“Clint messaged me just now. Those guys were hired by Boris Halton. Seems like he still hasn’t gotten over you releasing the dozens of kids they were shipping out last month.” Rovanov eyed you, standing tentatively near Steve’s bed, the way you hugged yourself. As opposed to hugging Steve. “Hopefully today didn’t scare you off. Hazards of associating with an Avenger and all.”

You dropped her gaze, not answering. Steve frowned lightly at Romanov before she left.

“You’re okay,” he murmured. 

You didn’t meet his eyes, looking around the room. “They said you were poisoned? Some human trafficker trying to pay you back?”

“I have the serum on my side.” Steve reached out, closing his hand around your wrist. You didn’t turn to him, but didn’t pull away. 

“You knew my friend was here. Why did you let me see her?” And now that you were in the same room as he was again, you found yourself annoyed. He must have known Catra, your close friend, was hired by SHIELD. And he had thrown Catra down as a trump card right after that disaster in the park, certainly knowing Catra was a straw you would grasp onto. 

“You would have gotten to see her sooner or later." 

You glared at him, at his utter lack of pretense. It was apparent he knew you had few options. Really, you had no options. 

"You're safe here," he intoned, eyes remaining on you. "Although I hadn't planned on the day leading to an ambush in a park. That wasn't smart, what you did.” 

You scoffed at the disapproval in his eyes. You could still muster enough pride at having tricked him with your little kitchen bomb. And yet, here you were, still in his grasp and under surveillance of a ruthless government agency. Still stuck in New York. 

“Can’t you…let me go?” You felt shame tensing your shoulders. Asking him something like that when he held so much control over you already, even in his injured state. It was weak of you and stupid and useless. You should have just walked out of that tower when you had the chance, even if it meant cutting ties with your one friend.

“I want you,” Steve said firmly. “I haven’t wanted in a long time. I’ve missed people and things from the past. But in this second life and in that past life, I’ve never truly allowed myself to _want_.”

“And you’re just okay with me not wanting you back?” you sputtered.

His eyes bore into you. You grit your teeth against his silent contradiction, against the shiver reminding you of each orgasm he plucked from your body. Sensations from previous evenings ghosted over your skin and between your legs. You had woken that morning as if from a dream, weak in realizing you had ridden a roller coaster of emotions yesterday and how it seemed to intensify Steve Roger’s touch until he was the only thing that had kept you from entirely drowning in your own mind. It suddenly felt so long ago, since you were on your own and not under his watch.

You chewed your bottom lip. “Whatever you…If you expect me to give in, you’re going to be disappointed.”

Despite himself, Steve murmured, “It’s not conventional, but I chose you and I know this is right.” It was simple for him.

You winced. “That’s…Is that supposed to make me feel special? I don’t want to hear your version of fate or whatever you think brought me to you. I want you to listen to reason. You choosing me does not make this right.”

He didn’t believe you would succumb to romantic declarations. You were too cynical, pragmatic. He didn’t mind that about you at all. “If you expect me to give you up, you’re going to be disappointed.”

His small smile added to your vexation.

Turning away, you ignored the weight of his eyes on you. "Catra."

“Your friend.”

You asked carefully, “She’s being sent on a mission.”

“My colleague Maria was highly impressed with your friend’s firearms skills. She’s already been assigned to a high level mission.” Steve rested his head back on the pillow, admiring your soft form before him. “Not a lot of newbies get recruited to the frontlines right away.”

Front lines?

“Will she be in a lot of danger?” Catra was the closest person you had to family now. You two had held each other through tears of losing loved one, had worked late nights together while New York healed. “What do you mean by front lines?”

Steve wished he could soothe the worry lines forming on your brow. He wouldn’t lie to you though.

“She’s going to be in enemy territory. It’s a hostile base in northern Europe, and as far as we know, there are active troops who may be aware of their planned arrival. That’s likely the reason she’s been assigned. I hear she’s one of the most talented snipers recruited in decades.”

Your heart sunk. Now that you had felt your friend’s embrace, you couldn’t help catastrophizing her and this new job with SHIELD. You’d lost enough people. 

Your legs felt like giving way, so you sat at the edge of his bed.

Steve repeated softly, "You're okay."

A promise from him that you never asked for.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments save a life!

If Natasha Romanov had her throwing up walls, Sam Wilson had her nearly crumbling in a pile of goo. He had introduced himself and led her from medical to the living quarters. The man was so sincere in trying to help her get comfortable in the tower, she couldn’t find it in her heart to be cold to him. Besides, it wasn’t his fault that Steve Rogers had discovered this competent, handsome soldier and reined him into his little circle of superheroes.

“Oh, before I forget.” Sam pulled out a cell phone and offered it to her. “Steve asked me to get this for you.”

She glanced at him. “Um, did he mention my own cell phone?” It was unlikely, but it didn’t hurt to try.

He grimaced apologetically. “They didn’t find much intact on site. Thankfully, you both were already outside, what with the apartment building crumbling and all.”

She looked up at him, lips parting in shock. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, shit. No one’s told you yet?” Sam winced harder. “A bomb went off in Steve’s apartment building. It was close to the time when you guys were attacked in the park.”

“The entire building? What about the other people living there?”

“Only on his side of the building. There were some minor injuries but they'll all survive, thankfully. I, uh, hope you didn’t have anything important in there.”

She held back a snort. It wasn’t like Steve’s apartment had been her home. “No.”

She almost felt sorry as Sam tried to apologize again.

“This is all real shitty, and I’m sure you have enough to worry about with Steve getting shot and all.”

She couldn’t help drawling, “He keeps saying he’s got the serum on his side. He won’t die so easily.”

Sam chuckled. “Sounds like you’re not new to the Captain’s stubborn lack of self-preservation.”

Oh, she was used to some type of stubborn from Steve Rogers.

“You two must have been together a while then.” His curiosity was apparent.

She didn’t know what gave him that impression. She paused at a window to take in the view. “I didn’t realize we were so high up.”

“Yeah, Steve’s room is just this way.”

She froze. “Steve’s…? I, uh, I thought I’d be staying in Cat’s room.”

Sam’s eyes were kind as he replied. “Hey. I get it. You don’t want people up in your business, or your relationship. Hell, I’ll be honest and say I’m shocked Cap’s been dating a civilian under the radar.”

She wanted to protest, but he kept going, trying to comfort her.

“I can assure you, I understand the need for privacy, but you don’t have to hide out in the junior agents’ rooms. Only a few trusted folks know about you and Steve and we don’t plan on announcing it to the world. Besides, it’s a bit more private up here. You won’t have to worry about prying eyes.”

She might have been tempted to disclose the reality of this damned relationship to Sam, who was so calming and supportive. Except she could tell he would need a lot of convincing. Fuck. The general population would be skeptical of anyone tarnishing Captain America’s reputation. And Steve Rogers' friends would be biased against any negative claims. What were the woes of one single woman against the suffering of a war hero, the man who recently uncovered deep-rooted corruption in the U.S. government? Especially a woman with no money or basic identification? Any hope left in her might as well wilt and dissolve into red, white and blue confetti for the people to toss to their Captain America.

Unaware of her despair, Sam led her on down the hall.

“So if you need anything, please, give me holler. My number is saved in that phone. Agent Catra Cortes is in there as well. And I want you to know that you are completely safe while here.”

“Did he ask you to babysit me?” she asked, trying to not display too much displeasure.

“Hey, we’re all in the area anyway. Besides, I’d love to get to know Steve’s secret best girl.”

“Best girl?” She wrinkled your nose as Sam smiled slyly.

“Oh, what? He doesn’t call you that? Guess he was trying not to show his grandpa side.”

She shook her head, caving to a smile at his mirth. He left her to get settled into the room on her own.

\---

It was clean and cozy. She supposed she could just be thankful for the wide windows and ample sunlight that would come through in the morning. And even if this was Steve Roger’s private room, at least she knew where she was located now, and sharing a building with several government employees.

She debated her options as far as cleaning up. She didn’t have clothes here, and a part of her rebelled at the thought of borrowing Steve Rogers' clothes.

She groaned. Fuck it. She wanted to change and get clean. Today had been a shit day, the cherry on top being that if she hadn’t made a run for it, she would have been blown to pieces by some dramatic villain out for Captain America’s blood. A shiver trailed down her spine at that thought. It was morbid, of course, but something else was off about the apartment building getting bombed. Captain America’s home was that vulnerable?

She continued mulling over her suspicions while digging around in a dresser for clean clothes, and making her way into the bathroom.

One steaming shower later, she was dressed in too-large leisurewear and patting her hair dry. The bathroom door opened, pulling her from her thoughts. She found Steve Rogers gracing her presence.

Frowning, she glanced his reflection up and down. “What are you doing here?”

He indulged in a little smirk, pleased by her attention. “Enhanced healing, remember? Want me to show you?”

Unamused, she clapped back, “Even with that weird alien poison in you?” His smirk widened, looking much too fond for her comfort. The last thing she needed was him getting the wrong idea. “Agent Romanov said they didn’t know what that poison was. Are you supposed to be around other people? What if you’re contagious?”

“I was cleared by the biochemists. There’s no trace of the poison in me.” He stepped closer, into her space, grazing her shoulder blades. No matter that he knew she was unharmed, the day had proved too much of a close call for Steve’s liking. His hands landed on her arms, sensing her skin prickling while she held still, wary of him.

It wasn’t ideal, her being exposed to so many people. Not only was his Avenger status a hazard to her – as today proved – but she still defied him and his affections. Thankfully, once Steve presented her with an opportunity to connect with her friend, she had not made things difficult after that shit show in the park. He could read the way she was recalculating her chances even now but she wasn’t one to act impulsively, so he was in fact not opposed to the way things had turned out.

Perhaps it wasn’t too early after all to bring his darling out from behind the veil. Here, he could have people keep an eye on her. The very same people who would steer her towards him, help him ease her into his life as a prominent public figure. Yes, this was a solid turn for them.

“Get out,” she demanded. “This is an invasion of privacy.”

“No.” He gripped the hem of shirt. “This is.”

She found her arms forced upward when he peeled her shirt off her. Her arms came down to cover her naked breasts, making it easy for Steve to sweep her up in his arms. Her bare skin on his soothed Steve more than anything. Of course he would risk her ire for it.

She gave a growl. “Why are you like this?”

“You’re not used to it yet?” he asked, those blue eyes so bright and playful. His warmth radiated against her skin, disarming her with how good it felt. While her feet kicked, she also made herself small to better distribute all that heat.

Steve curled his arms to bring her squirming body closer to his chest, nuzzling into her hair and down to the heat of her neck. Her scent, the solid press of her curves against him was a heady combination. His nose rubbing against her neck incited little squeaks of protest.

He sat down on the loveseat in his room, setting her on his lap. Despite his familiarity with her body, she kept an arm across her chest, shifting to sit up on his thighs. In no way was she going to sigh into all that warm, muscly chest. It would only encourage him to draw those thick arms tighter around her, whereas he had them relaxed close to her at the moment.

She caught Steve’s eye, caught him regarding her so attentively, she grew self-conscious. His body language tended towards stoic, yet his gaze always declared every bit of his emotions.

On her, his eyes emitted immense pleasure and a tenderness that alarmed her. She didn’t know if she would ever get used to how it seemed his very breath centered on her whenever they were in the same room. Maybe now that she was outside of that apartment, it would be different.

“Well? Weren’t you going to show me your miraculous healing?”

As he pulled his shirt up, she surprised him by helping, and then he watched with a quiet laugh when she quickly slipped his shirt on.

She gave him a prim frown before dropping her eyes to body. Not everyone had the fortune or even a reason to be as fit as he was. She stubbornly hid her envy at his smooth skin and pronounced muscles. Was it some universal impulse of the modern woman to want to touch a person’s abs? She peeked over his shoulders, where he had been shot. Before she knew it, her finger was reaching to touch the little bit of ridged skin of one recent scar. She paused, catching him watching her out of the corner of her eye.

“Does it gross you out?” he asked.

Steve squinted one eye, wincing when she deliberately pressed down on a bullet wound. Even still, she pulled back and saw he was more amused than in pain by her pettiness. It was a big contrast to his reluctance with the doctors who touched and assessed his wounds, just earlier when she was still in his medic room with him.

His hand had slid inside her shirt to rub her back, and she was now vividly recalling his large form shielding her so completely from those guns.

Without him, she would be dead, she realized. Indebted to this man, against her wishes. It really wasn’t fair. It begged her question – why was Steve Rogers the way he was?

“I know it was scary, out there today having guns pointed at you.”

She studied the grim lines on his face. She swallowed, building up courage before saying, “You do know…that something like that would have never happened to someone who wasn’t with you.” She didn’t want to play the blame game, but maybe a guilt trip would make him see reason.

Steve’s lips twisted in thought. He replied calmly, “And now that you are someone who is _with_ me, something like that might happen again. If you’re not careful.” He took in the slight flush in her cheeks, the fury building slowly in her dark eyes. He knew she understood his meaning and she did not like where this was going, but he would use her rationality against her.

“You can’t just…” She huffed, furious that he had flipped her argument on itself. “So what you’re saying is that if I know what’s good for me, I’ll do whatever you say? Or else what? You said I was wiped, untraceable.”

“Untraceable except for what I want to be traceable.” He turned her chin so she was forced to look him in the eye. “I need you to hear me. Now, unfortunately, that stunt you pulled today put you in direct line of fire. Dangerous people have you on their radar. It doesn’t matter that they don’t know your name, where you’re from, or anything else. Halton and anyone who saw you today now know your face. That’s all anyone needs to hurt you.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “And you can be sure I’m not letting anyone hurt you.”

She shook her head, frustration pooling into tears in her eyes. His oath to protect her was simply driving her further into a corner.

Someone knocked at the door. Steve turned a kiss into her hair and placed her onto the couch cushion. He snatched on a sweater hanging by the door before opening it.

“Hey Sam.”

Sam caught the distraught tears on her face and stepped back as Steve came out into the hall and closed the door.

“She’s not doing so well, huh?”

Steve sighed. “She’s been through a lot.” He hesitated, as if debating sharing something deeply secret. “She lost her family. They were here during the alien invasion.”

“Damn.”

“Look, Sam. I’m sorry I haven’t told you—“

“You don’t have to apologize. You deserve a personal life, man. You deserve privacy.”

This was why Steve knew Sam would be on his side. He just needed to lay out bread crumbs to mislead his friend, to help Sam come to the right conclusions.

“Still, you’re my friend. I don’t want you to think I don’t trust you. It’s just, it took a lot of convincing to get her to give this a chance. With me.” They walked towards the communal area of the floor. “She doesn’t exactly love New York. And you know our job isn’t as glamourous as some people think it is. She’s such a down to earth person, she understandably had her reservations about what it means to be a part of this life with SHIELD and all the danger we attract, the things expected of us. She had her reservations about me. I mean, I still haven’t figured out how to use the subway stations.”

Sam smiled, clapping a supportive hand on his friend’s shoulder. The self-deprecating joke couldn’t hide to Sam that Steve was very afraid of losing that young woman. Sam couldn’t think of anyone who deserved peace and love as much as Steve did.

“Today just…well, it just proved how selfish I am.”

“Hey, don’t say that.” Sam brought them to a halt.

  
“It’s true. I don’t blame her for wanting a quiet normal life. Yet, I dragged her into this and nearly got her killed.”

“Listen, Steve. I work with you, right? Now, if I found someone who meant the world to me, who loved me and was perfect for me. Would you tell me that I need to let that person go?”

Steve frowned. “No. I wouldn’t.”

“So, I’m going to have to sincerely disagree with you calling yourself selfish. There is nothing inherently wrong with you wanting a fulfilling life with a loving partner. We just need to work out a system to minimize the threat to your SO.” Sam nodded approvingly at Steve’s small smile. “Here, I had some food delivered. Figured you both could use some down time. Stark is already after Halton’s ass.”

“Thanks, Sam.”

“We’ll work it out. You two are not alone, got that? Don’t you dare give up on her.”

“I won’t.” Steve glanced down the hall. No, he wasn’t giving up on her.

\---

“Humor me here. All this time I was trying to work out where I was, and you just had me in New York, inside the apartment building known to your friends and coworkers?” You weren’t sure how to voice how appalled you were.

As you broke into Sam’s gift of dinner, Steve explained that his apartment was supposed to be off grid. Of course SHIELD didn’t want just any layman flipping open a phone book to look up Steve Rogers.

“I had more space than I needed. So I did a little renovating,” he said.

He said it like it was just a casual craft hobby and not rewiring and building an entire secret room for his highly questionable purposes. So the little ‘guest suite’ you had been living in hadn’t been part of the original lease. Did that mean no one else knew about how you truly landed in Steve Rogers’ hands? 

“See, it doesn’t appear that you’re putting your skills to appropriate use. Why can’t you just, like, build houses for people?”

“I do that sometimes.”

You returned his sass with some side eye.

Steve got up, clearing the table. “You need to rest.”

You had finished your food, and it was getting late. The day’s colorful encounters drifted until one thought remained in your mind – your one friend.

“Will you be able to join the mission? The one Catra is on?” You had no right to ask for favors. Not only that, you didn’t want to say or do anything that would make this entire THING feel as if it was… Accepted. As if you and Steve were in some kind of relationship where favors could be asked.

“No. And only those assigned will have permission to access the mission briefing.”

  
“But you’re Captain America,” you blurted. “I mean, you could do what you wanted.” Screw your discomfort. You needed your only friend to survive her first SHIELD mission.

Distracted by your own anxiety, you missed Steve’s wry smile. Captain America wasn’t allowed free rein, certainly not with SHIELD. It was part of why his awakening with the stone had hit so hard. Steve had always known he wasn’t perfect; however, it hurt to learn that all his suffering and the suffering of his comrades were mere collateral to the people in power. They could shake his hand and pretend to worship him, but in the end, he was just another pawn in their power games.

“You said so, that you’re not hurt, and you’re a, uh, Captain. Surely you can join the mission, the one Catra is on,” you continued. “I mean, I know Catra’s a good shot, but this is her first mission. She might get hurt. She might…” You swept desperate fingers through your hair, getting worked up. “Please.”

Steve waited. Curious.

“Please.” How could you convince this man? This stubborn man that had consumed your entire existence? “Please watch out for Catra. I could…Is there anything I can do?” Your face twisted with worry. “I can’t stand not knowing if she’ll be okay.”

“Okay.”

“Really?”

She met his intense gaze, forced herself not to look away. Steve Rogers was out of his mind but he was also the only help she could offer her best friend. If it meant extending her time with him, she could handle that. She told herself she could.

“I’ll make sure she makes it back.”

She sank into the chair next to her. “Okay.” She looked back up at him. “Thank you. Steve.”

Steve smiled at her softly, leaning towards her from across the table. “You’re welcome.”

You sat, growing tense as he moved about cleaning up. Finally, he took one of your hands from where they had fiddled together on your lap, pulled you to your feet.

“Steve-“

His arms scooped around your thighs. Your stomach pressed to his chest, lifted high enough his face was upturned towards yours. Steve walked you to his bed.

He had asked if you were used to this yet. He touched you like this, with an unconditional adoration. It wasn’t like the sex, when you could get lost in the heat and trying to just breathe through pleasure. When he held you close this way, like something precious, you couldn’t hide in your own mind. No, you weren’t sure that you were used to it.

He laid you on the bed, pressing close and hovering over you. You heart pounded, feeling his hands return home as fingers stroked along your cheek, brushed your hair back, held you at your waist and hip. Why did the weight of his hand soothe your anxiety?

You felt so removed from your morning escapade, from the shock of guns aimed at you. How did Steve Rogers’ proximity bring you to a point in the present, when you were so often wading in the flood of thoughts?

You took a deep breath to steady the flutter in your chest. “You, erm, don't need to prepare for tomorrow?”

“I'll make sure I get added to the mission. Don't worry.”

You nodded. When you felt him aim for a kiss, your hand came up to his chest.

“Um. You didn’t answer my question. _Is_ there anything I can do while you and Cat are away? I probably don’t have any experience with-” 

“What you can do is promise to stay here and stay safe.”

You frowned, skeptical.

“Honey, you may not care that I want you to be safe. But you know your friend cares that you’re safe. If we’re not worrying about you, we’ll focus on the mission and return.” Steve’s thumb traced your lip softly over your pout.

You weren’t satisfied, but had nothing else to offer right at that moment. “Okay.”

“We can talk about other ways for you to help once I’m back,” he bargained.

“Fine.” Your eyes narrowed at him. “Just so we’re clear, there is a line to that promise. Of me staying here.”

“Mm. Could you show me where that line is?” He pressed forward to kiss you.

You quickly thwarted him, scooting away just a little. “Or, I could just tell you. You know, like you said, talk?”

“’M not so good with words.”

“Bullshit.” You pressed at his chest again. “From what I understand, you, Captain America, lead several agents of the government on important missions. This presumably requires someone with strong communication skills.”

“SHIELD didn’t exactly interview me for the job.”

“They haven’t fired you yet,” you countered.

You weren’t wrong, Steve knew. You were just so clear in his mind that he hadn’t found the patience to pace himself up to now; but he knew after today, with more eyes on you both, he would have to compromise. Just a little.

You managed to scoot away from him. “We are going to get ready for bed. I need rest.”

He couldn’t argue with that.

“You can take the couch,” you added as you walked to the bathroom.

You ended up with Steve beside you under the covers, but fell asleep soon after.

\---

You weren’t really a morning person, and was thankful for the little thermos of coffee Steve passed to you as you both walked up to the jet pad the early hours the next day.

Once there, Catra spotted you and pulled you over for a quick chat and goodbye. She too made you promise to lay low in the tower until she got back. You had the notion she still wanted an explanation for how you arrived in your current circumstances, but there wasn’t time for much else than letting her know that you were “unsure” of how things were going with Captain America.

“You know that I have your back right? Things didn’t work out with the new job and all, I’m not going to let you go without a roof over your head.” Cat insisted. Before you could respond, Steve joined you both.

“That won’t be a problem. I’ll take care of things personally,” Steve said.

There it was, his Captain voice and dark blue and red suit, with the famous shield strapped to his back. He looked every bit the international hero. The only thing that gave him away, at least to you, was his eyes. Baby blues that everyone probably swooned at, or that froze terrorists in their place. Except, you had come to recognize the violet shadows in them. The shadows determined to read your soul until there was nothing he didn’t know about you, until you belonged completely to Steve Rogers.

He led you away from the jet as agents began boarding.

“Remember what you agreed to.”

You gave a nod.

“You know that I just want to take care of you?” He peered down, catching your eye.

Why did this man, this hero want you?

“I’ll be here,” you said.

“Good.” Then, Steve scooped you up around your thighs to close the height difference and kissed you. You could have broken the kiss sooner, but wasn’t that one of Steve Rogers’ enhanced abilities – to startle you with his contrasting strength and softness, until you couldn’t help letting his lips tenderly claim yours.

You pulled away, eyes down to avoid seeing the reactions of the people around you two. He set you back on your feet.

“I’ll be back soon,” he said.

You knew he meant it.


	7. Chapter 7

You waved to Gwen before stepping into the elevator. Gwen was the agent who had accompanied you during your shopping trip, which had apparently been set up by Steve. The agent had showed up at Steve’s tower apartment door and informed you as much. At first, you were going to politely decline, not interested in spending Steve Rogers’ money, but then you recalled you needed new underwear and thus were forced to bite back your pride.

It also wouldn’t hurt to acquire a few basics so you wouldn’t need to keep borrowing from the man’s closet.

“I’m all set. Is there anywhere you need to make a stop before we go back to the tower?” you had asked Gwen.

She seemed mildly surprised at how quickly you were done with your errands. “You’re sure, ma’am? I was informed to assist you for a couple more hours.”

“Ma’am?” You laughed lightly. “You can just call me by my name.” You had paused and asked, “How did you end up getting saddled with me for the day?”

She had shrugged. “As I said, I’m part of security. It’s part of my job to escort different individuals during periods of increased threat. If you’re finished, I’ll call the car.”

You nodded, reassured. After what happened in the park, you were actually grateful for Gwen’s presence. “If you don’t mind, I am getting hungry. You want to pick a restaurant? My treat.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Gwen had responded. Until you mentioned a craving for sushi and you two had grown excited over unagi bowls.

Folding up your three shirts, sweater, and few bottoms you had chosen from the first two affordable clothing stores you walked upon in the mall, you glanced up at the open closet. There was a low shelf that was empty, which you decided would be yours until you figured out how to find your own space.

Afterwards, dressed in your own clothing and feeling slightly more oriented, you met up with Sam Wilson for a tour of the tower.

When you reached the labs and asked if there were any open laboratories that you could check out, or employees who wouldn’t be disturbed by an unannounced visit, Sam introduced you to a SI chemist, Dr. Dean Marshall.

Two days later, you had a new connection and a potential way to gain back some autonomy in your life.

And, you had been informed that your friend’s mission was a success and everyone would be arriving back to New York this late morning.

\---

Dr. Marshall had recommended a donut shop to you, so you grabbed a bag of glazed goodies to welcome Cat back. Soon, you received a message from your friend and headed down the building to see her. With much relief to see her in one piece, you join Cat in her room. You tried to keep the subject of conversation focused on her, how she was getting along with her coworkers, and continuing an intense physical training regimen. You really didn’t envy the demands of her job, especially with how secretive it required her to be.

“Not that I wanted to be in on any dangerous secret SHIELD knowledge, mind you,” you told her. “I just feel like this sort of job would naturally discourage you to be completely honest with the people in your life, you know? But that’s just my presumption, I’m not saying you wouldn’t be your honest and authentic self.” You finished off by patting her head fondly. She grimaced at you teasingly.

“Sounds like maybe you’re afraid of something like this happening to you?” she asked.

Your brow rose in question.

She leaned in. “Are you worried that Captain Rogers is keeping a part of himself closed from you because of his job as Captain America?”

“Uh…” You stuttered. “No, absolutely not.” You struggled to restrain your frustration. It wasn’t Cat’s fault for assuming something like that. You hadn’t been exactly forthcoming with her. “Look, about that. Things aren’t really what they look like.”

“How so?”

Where to begin. Part of you was ashamed for being vulnerable enough to have landed in your position. And to have allowed things to get so far that you couldn’t even come clean to your friend without doubting yourself.

“I mean that Steve Rogers and I are not…like that.”

Cat frowned in confusion. “You mean you and Captain Steve Rogers, whom you are living with –“

“I’m not living with him. I’m just borrowing some space.” You cringed, seeing Cat’s dubious response.

“Okaaay. And you’re borrowing his space and,” she quickly eyed your jacket, “also borrowing his clothing because you’re not _like that,_ which makes you…” She seemed to think hard before shaking her head. “I don’t get it, bub.”

You could kick yourself. This is what you got for skimping during your shopping trip. You hadn’t bought a light jacket, just one thick sweater. The day wasn’t too cool and you had been excited to see Cat again, you had been quick to snatch a track jacket laying on the closet floor. It just happened to very clearly be stitched with ‘Rogers’ over one breast.

“This means nothing.”

“Girl, you were living with him even before all that craziness with Halton’s gang.”

“That wasn’t what you think, Cat.”

She took your hand. “I’m not asking you to explain yourself. I’m just glad you’re okay. No matter what happened or how it happened, I’m glad Captain Rogers was there to support you.”

You were shaking your head – everything she was inferring was circumstantial and so not true.

“It’s not that simple,” you said, your tongue weighted by your own cowardice.

“Okay, okay.” The last thing Cat wanted was for you to feel pressured to explain yourself. She had been under the assumption that you had gone MIA to settle into your new life out west. Then, you showed up in Avengers Tower with Captain Rogers, who had made it very clear how important you were to him. For as long as Cat had known you, you were the person who wanted to do what was right, never asking for recognition or glory. Of course you had caught the Captain’s eye. And of course, Cat shook her head mentally, you were anxious about being in a relationship with such a high profile figure as Steve Rogers. As your friend, Cat knew how much you had suffered. She didn’t want you to torture yourself over a potentially prosperous relationship.

“Hey, it’s okay if you’re not sure about this relationship. No matter what happens, I’m your friend and I’m here for you.”

You would have to be satisfied with that. You hugged her, just grateful that her first mission had been successful and you now had a friend. It gave you courage to face Steve.

You knew Cat needed rest, and so helped tuck her in and departed.

\---

She arrived at Steve’s door all too soon. She keyed in the entry code and stepped inside. Steve was just pulling on a clean t-shirt, his hair damp from a shower.

“I assume you saw Agent Cortes?”

“Yes.” She approached him in the kitchen area. “You’re not hurt?”

“I’m good.”

She frowned. That didn’t really answer her question. She walked a tight circle around Steve, and he helpfully stood still for her scrutiny.

When she came back around to face him, he quirked a brow at her. She rolled her eyes away, moving to set the bag of donuts on the counter.

“Some leftover donuts that I got for Cat,” she muttered, intent on not giving him the impression that she had intentionally bought them for him.

“Thanks,” Steve said. “I’ll save them for later.”

A clipped yell left her when his arms circled her waist and he lifted her. Legs dangling, she was held firmly as he walked them into the bedroom.

“Steve,” she hissed, unsurprised but exasperated by his manhandling. She huffed, feeling him press his cold nose into her neck, his body immediately curling around hers after laying upon the bed. He was behaving like a big puppy, rubbing up against her. She drew her lip between her teeth, blushing to realize that her exasperation was peppered with fondness. That wasn’t right.

“What’s going through your head, honey?” Steve asked, feeling her squirm and realizing she was a bit flustered.

“I-I just think you’re being ridiculous.”

He flashed a small smile at her, shrugging. “Missed you.”

She ignored him. “And also, now that you’re back, I think we should settle some things. First of all, I want to move into my own room. I already asked Gwen if something could be arranged – “

“Gwen?”

“She works in security.”

“Then she would have informed you that your request cannot be approved.” Steve was prepared for her to be upset with him, and as expected, she scowled fiercely at him.

“Yes, she did. But I have made it clear to you that I don’t find your actions rational. I will continue to try and find my own space. I don’t think it’s unreasonable for me to inquire about something that would be less uncomfortable for me.”

“Comfort?” He drew his face closer to hers, and her words died in her throat with his cobalt gaze piercing her. “You know what’s uncomfortable for me? The possibility that you might get hurt.”

She felt like she was holding her breath, his large form hovering so close to her, his gaze stern and compelling her to heed his concern.

“It makes me very uncomfortable to know that I can’t make you entirely happy, but if it means minimizing harm to you, you’re not going anywhere without me.”

Her face pinched with returning frustration.

“Now, you remember your promise? I went on that mission, and your friend returned unharmed.”

“I kept my end of the deal,” she gritted.

“There’s no expiration date to your end of the deal.”

“What?”

..

Steve slid his stubble-covered chin and cheeks up her pussy that – after enduring his attention - was overly sensitive, resting against her flushed mound. She released a moan. Her hips quivered as she tried to close her legs around his head.

“One more.”

She protested weakly. She had put up a fight at first, but had made her come twice already with a combination of his mouth, tongue and fingers, drawing each one out so that all her resistance fell away until she was the quivering mess before him.

“I went on that mission in exchange for a promise. I need you to renew your oath. You gonna promise to stay safe like I tell you? Hm, sweetheart?”

She chewed her swollen bottom lip. She was surprised her burning body hadn’t caught fire yet. Steve pressed his teeth to her hip bone to prompt her. From his vantage point, he could take in her skin glowing with sweat, her breasts spread and covered with his love marks. She shook her head.

“Oh…”

Involuntarily, her pelvis rose to aid him until he was buried in her to the hilt. There was some aching from his persistently eating her out, but her pussy welcome his heavy girth. A few thrusts in and she could hear the squelching of her arousal dripping, aiding his rapid motions.

“S..St…” she gasped.

“No stopping, baby.” He dropped kisses all down her jaw to her ear.

“-teve..”

He groaned, grunting as he rutted into her sweet body harder. Spurred on by hearing his name falling from her lips while he fucked her perfect little body.

“Promise me.” His voice drew her up from the depths of delirium.

“I-I ca--.” Her breath hitched. Words fell from her lips unintentionally. He pressed against her, cupping her head, his face buried in her hair while his pelvis repeatedly met hers.

How was he keeping this up so long? All those times back at that little apartment, she was still unprepared for his stamina.

He straightened up on his knees and had brought her ankles together in the air. While he pulled his cock out and pushed back in so that she felt every inch, every ridge, every tap to her g-spot, his other hand laid on her mound, fingers toying with her clit.

“Love this,” he panted, relishing the way she was at his mercy.

“Ahh. Oh…” She was gasping, unable to gather two words together.

“You like this? Yeah?” Steve rutted faster, earning a low moan. He knew she didn’t want to admit it, but he wasn’t going to quit. He slowed down, sliding his cock shallowly. “This what you want?”

She whined. She wasn’t completely computing how his tight grip on her ankles could be such a turn on. Her skin ached and burned where he had nipped and sucked, only added to her gushing arousal.

“Steve.” Her fists formed around the sheets. As she stuttered to ask for more, not caring how she might sound, Steve thrust faster, stealing her breath.

“Tell me.” His wet thumb drove her mad, barely touching her swollen clit.

“M-more.” She choked on a moan, his large cock splitting her faster, the stretch so deliciously addictive.

“Like this?” Steve wasn’t expecting an answer. He was barely holding on at this point. His hips snapped fast and hard, urged on by her sweet sounds. When he felt her cunt flutter and cling tighter to his cock, her back arching as she came, he lowered her ankles to his sides, taking hold of her thighs to press deep into her, groaning in his climax. Feeling his cum fill her pussy, flooding around his cock, he gasped and rocked into her. His sticky cream filled and escaped around her rim.

He whispered her name, sucked at her neck with kisses between pants. Then their lips met and kissed with quiet, wet smacks, soft nips. She slowly came down from her high only to be drugged by his kisses, and the growing hardness still buried in her. When had her arms found their way around him, squeezing his muscles and hugging him back?

Carefully, Steve rolled to place her on top, scooting up onto a pile of pillows. He kept kissing her, not ready to let her rest. A minute of tugging at her nipple and more breathless kisses and her arousal reignited, prompting her to grind against him.

Thrill built inside him at being able to feed her desire. Awed that she gasped at every point which his greedy mouth pressed to her body, Steve very willingly devoured her. He wanted to let her fuck him but her little whines urged him to ram up into her. His arms were wrapped around her, his hands squeezing her flesh with need. God how he needed her.

“Gonna let me make you cum?” He nibbled the soft flesh of her breast. “Gonna give me your promise so I can make you feel so good?”

“Hhuh. Steve…” she sighed, pushing a nipple into his hot mouth.

He squeezed his arms around her to limit her movement but kept thrusting, keeping her on edge.

Never had she been so desperate that tears formed in her eyes. Every part of her ached for release, even down to the depths of her chest where her heart seemed to whimper at Steve driving her into a corner using her pleasure against her.

“Promise. Need to hear your promise, honey.”

As he licked and sucked at her breast, she murmured, “I-I promise.”

He relented in snapping his hips harder. She was so close, egged on by the rough way he filled her, even more turned on to feel his determination to make her cum. She needed him, god, how she need him. “Ah! Right there!”

He wouldn’t let her down. Steve kept up his aim for that spot that made her cry out for him. “Right there? Like that?”

His gravelly voice, and that perfect friction finally shattered her. She hugged him as tight as her cunt was squeezing him, humming as she felt the unmistakable bursts of his seed.

Steve loosened his hold on her to let her limbs fall in a comfortable position around him. She tried to move off him, but she was so tired that her movements were minimal and eventually she dozed on his chest. He dropped kisses on top of her head, his hands never leaving the expanse of her warm curves.

Now that he had her verbal promise, pulled in such a delicious manner from her rosy lips, he would be sure to hold her to it. In any way he saw fit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all, I'm still not sure where this is going, so in the meantime this chapter is mainly relying on uh...persuasive sexy times, I guess?


End file.
